Three-Way Bridge, Part 1: Freak Fears
by Madison E. Blackwood
Summary: Follow Erasmus Porter, a Christian orphan, as he is thrown into a world of magic and danger on the eve of his sixteenth birthday. He battles Greek/Roman monsters and Egyptian demons, searching for answers about his goddess mother and magician father. But the greatest challenge of this unfazable young man is a handsome son of Hades... ((Pairing: Nico/OC))
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Hello, hello, hello! I'm Madison, and I'm super excited that you're here right now! Whether you're rereading an old favourite or checking out a new story for the first time, I'm happy you've come to my zone. ^^ Prepare to dive into the exciting universe Rick Riordan spun in his popular series, and have fun saving the world with Erasmus Porter and Nico di Angelo. If you haven't read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, or Kane Chronicles series, you'll want to go do that first, or nothing will really make sense in these following chapters. Of course, all of Riordan's characters belong to him, but the rest belong to me, so please do not steal them! Otherwise, ENJOY~

Title: **Three-Way Bridge, Part 1: Freak Fears**

Universe: **Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus / Kane Chronicles**

Main Characters: **Erasmus Porter (my OC) / Nico di Angelo (canon)**

**Reyna ****Ramírez-Arellano (canon) / Coach Gleeson Hedge (canon)  
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**Carter and Sadie Kane (canon)**

Rating: **M for sexual content**

Summary: **Follow Erasmus Porter, a Christian orphan, as he is thrown into a world of magic and danger on the eve of his sixteenth birthday. He battles Greek/Roman monsters and Egyptian demons, searching for answers about his goddess mother and magician father. But the greatest challenge of this unfazable young man is a handsome son of Hades...**

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><p>I was getting sick of harpies. Two of them—exceptionally more ugly than any of the others—had managed to trail me closely for the past three days without getting turned to dust. I had been running for almost a month now, but the harpies were more determined than any of the other monsters I'd met. My tactics included "fight unless you can run," and most monsters couldn't keep up with me, or got distracted by something else. Usually the latter. Harpies, however, seemed fixed on a large order of Erasmus fries, since they kept threatening to slice me to pieces before consuming me.<p>

It had started one rather boring day at school, with a substitute teacher. She introduced herself as Marbella, and said that Mr. Carmine, our usual homeroom teacher, had called in sick. As she said this, I could have sworn she laughed, but no one else reacted, so I figured it must be my imagination. I didn't trust my imagination again after she started roll call.

"Anthony Pierce?" she said, in a high, snuffling voice, like she had a slight cold.

"Here, Ms. Marbella," Anthony answered sweetly. He was the golden boy of the class, always trying to show me up, make me look bad. I didn't know what he had against me, but I didn't really care.

"Erasmus Porter?" Marbella called. Before I could even raise my hand in acknowledgement, she looked straight at me, and grinned. She had fangs. I stared, and realized her hair seemed to be on fire. For a moment, I almost started shouting "FIRE!" but the last time I'd done that, I'd been hallucinating and had to go to a shrink for months. I closed my gaping mouth and raised my hand timidly.

"Here," I muttered. Marbella noticed nothing amiss and continued roll call. After class, when the bell rang, she dismissed everyone. Except for me.

"Erasmus," she said loudly, as though to make sure everyone heard. "I'd like to speak with you a moment." Giggles and chuckles swept through the class and I wished I could disappear.

"Yes, ma'am," I said politely. I gathered my stuff and made my way to the teacher's desk. She waited until everyone was gone before saying anything.

"I understand that you're an orphan, Erasmus," she said, her voice getting silkier. I had the strangest feeling she was trying to cast a spell on me, but I shook it off. There was no such thing as magic. The closest thing to magic that I believed in was miracles from God. But those were the will of the Almighty, not some human claiming supernatural powers.

"Yes, ma'am," I answered. For some reason, I hated her, but my father had always taught me to be polite to everyone, so I was.

"What happened to your parents?" she asked smoothly. I felt it would be wise to at least pretend like she was getting the effect she wanted, so I answered, thought I didn't like it.

"My father died in a car crash last year, and I never knew my mother," I said. "She disappeared right after I was born."

"How old are you?" she asked. I shrugged.

"Sixteen tomorrow," I said, like it didn't matter, which it didn't.

"Sixteen!" She seemed surprised. "And not yet claimed? Looks like the gods are getting lax again." She smiled evilly. I wondered what religion she was. Obviously she didn't believe in God, from the Bible, but she didn't seem to be a Muslim, or a Hindu, or any other religion that believed in gods of any sort. And she wasn't an atheist either, since she did believe in at least a few gods.

"Um, claimed?" I asked, confused. Her smile broadened, and she got a look of pure joy in her eyes. Somehow, it didn't make me feel any better.

"It's nothing, child," she said.

Suddenly, with no warning, she reached out and slashed her fingers across my chest. I cried out as pain flared in lines where she'd touched me and I stumbled back, into a desk. Looking down, I gasped at the rips in my shirt, and the blood flowing freely from jagged cuts across my chest. I looked back up and gasped again. Marbella no longer looked human. Sure she had a humanoid form, but her eyes were blood red, and her hair _was_ on fire. She bared fangs dripping with saliva, and spread hands of claw-tipped fingers. When she leapt up onto the desk, I gasped again, at her legs. One was hairy and thick, like that of a horse or a cow, and the other was bronze colored. I hoped it was just for show, but the _clank_ of her metal leg hitting the desktop, and the smell of her animal leg assaulting my nose said otherwise.

"Indeed," she continued, "your life ends here, so everything is nothing!"

"W-What are you?" I asked, horrified.

"Me?" She cackled. "I'm nothing but an _empousa_, here to kill you, little demigod." Empousa? Demigod? What on earth was she talking about?

I had no time to deliberate; she snarled happily, if it was even possible, and jumped at me. I threw up my hands to ward her off, though I knew it would do no good. I heard a cry of surprise, and then a heavy _thud._ I glanced over nervously to find her against the wall, in a daze, rubbing the back of her head. Wondering how she'd been knocked back, but not eager to stick around and find out, I took my leave.

"Get back here, you little wretch!" she screamed moments after I vanished. I tore down the hall, bumping into students trying to get to class on time. Marbella dashed out of the classroom and glanced around until she found me. I gasped and began shoving students aside to get away. Most of them just moved out of the way, confused as to why I was running. I didn't know how they could miss the empousa slowly gaining on me, _clomp-clank, clomp-clank,_ but I didn't stop to ask.

Outside, I rounded the corner of the building and dove behind a dumpster. I should have chosen somewhere else, because the moment I dropped down into the corner, I knew she would see me as soon as she passed me.

But she didn't. She raced past me, pulling to a stop just over a yard away and looked around. I nearly jumped out of my skin when she looked right at me, but she didn't see me. Growling in frustration, she stomped her hoof and strode away. Trembling, I breathed a sigh of relief and prayed thanks to God for hiding me from the monster's sight.

What if she came back? I couldn't come back to school tomorrow, or she'd find me, but where could I go? I lived at the orphanage, but...

A chill swept over me. If she had managed to become a teacher to get me, than she must know where I live. I had to leave. For good. I jumped to my feet and took off for the orphanage.

The little building used to be a barracks for a nearby military base that had been abandoned since before the Civil War. Someone had converted it to an orphanage for the parentless children of the town that had grown up in the area only a few decades ago. It had been my home for the past year, and would remain so until I turned eighteen.

Or it would have. Now I was on the run, and I was glad to finally have a reason to get away.

When I got there, I snuck into my room and began shoving my small collection of clothes and my meager belongings into a bag. Then I knelt by my bed and pried up a loose board. The day I arrived, I found it while exploring and stored some money and emergency snacks there, just in case. Now I needed them; I emptied the space and threw it all into my backpack, stuffing the bag of clothes in after it. Later I would go back and organize it, but time was of the essence at the moment.

Then I left. I was surprised at how easy it was, though I had entertained the thought of running away since I'd first gotten there. Now, I followed the plan I had so carefully thought out but didn't think I'd need. I took a cab to the edge of the city, hitchhiked from there to the next town, and then walked to the nearby forest.

Unfortunately, I hadn't counted on being attacked by other monsters. Dark, seal-skinned dog-like creatures came first, howling as they swarmed after me in a pack. I vaporized one, on accident, when I tripped through a bush and made a branch snap back just as the hound-creature charged. For a moment, I stared at the gold dust that floated away on the wind from where the monster had just stood. Another snarl sounded by my ear and I whirled to face another one. It snapped at my face, but I ducked and it collided with another that had tried to attack me from behind. In the ensuing chaos, I managed to escape, but I used that experience as a lesson, and found several long, relatively sharp branches that I planned to use as spears (of sorts) the next time I was attacked.

Later that week, after several other attacks, I found a nice-sized club, with which I bashed several Cyclopes. One of them left behind a dagger that was large enough to make a good short sword. Those two weapons became my weapons of choice, and I survived for another week.

Often, when I was attacked, the monsters would ask if I was with Greek or Roman, or they would call me 'demigod,' or, on one occasion, another empousa—not Marbella, thankfully—called me a 'son of my mistress.' I didn't know what any of them meant, but after the first few attacks, I didn't bother with diplomacy. And after each inevitable battle, though worn and sore, I would drop to my knees and thank God for protecting me once again.

Two weeks after the incident with Marbella, the first harpy attacked. She came in the middle of the night, waking me with her foul stench, and was intent on taking off my head. I killed her with a single stab that dispersed her into a cloud of gold dust and soiled feathers, but no sooner had she fallen than another found me. And then another and another. That's when the running-for-my-life part started.

Every day, I'd outdistance them, only to have them catch up while I slept. I learned very quickly how to become a light sleeper, and eventually realized that I had some sort of... internal radar that told me when monsters were near, and where they were coming from. I got very little sleep over the next week, and very little food—most of it was leftover at picnic places, or swiped from convenience stores that I stumbled into every once in a while—but I continued to evade the filthy bird-women. I had no clue where I was running to, or if there was any place I _could_ go for safety, but I trusted God to lead me to such a place if it existed.

The harpies were persistent, and many of them learned to time their attacks to deal the most damage on me. No matter how many I vaporized, there always seemed to be that many more. And of course, two of them, smarter than the rest, managed to survive the entire time. I got weaker and weaker as the days passed, and the harpies grew bolder and bolder. Exactly three weeks and four days after it all started, I would have died had the giant statue not arrived.

§§§

At the time, I had been running nonstop for two days, and needed sleep. I collapsed at the bottom of a hill around sunset and laid out flat. If the harpies found me, I didn't care anymore. Let them come. Let me die, and hope my soul was welcomed into heaven. Sleep dragged at my eyelids.

"There he is!" a woman's voice screeched. I groaned. _Too soon; go away, and let me rest._ With a sigh, I pulled myself to my feet and raised my sword, shaky. I was too tired to go swinging my club around, so I just let it drop at my feet. Even though I wanted nothing more than to lay down and go to sleep, I wasn't about to die without a fight.

"Get him!" By now I could see the gross, dirty monsters. Thankfully, the sun was at my back, so I wasn't blinded as they swarmed toward me, en masse. They dove at me, and I slashed, cutting down two in a single stroke. But before I could lift my sword again, two more dove down and knocked me back, their talons cutting deep into my shoulders. I winced, falling to one knee, but didn't cry out.

"God, give me strength," I gritted out, standing. Blood loss was taking a toll on me, though, and I wobbled unsteadily, dropping my sword arm. The harpies saw this and screeched gleefully. Four or five dove at once and I just watched, making peace with myself as I prepared to die.

The shadows around me warped and stretched. Startled, the harpies retreated, squawking, but only for a moment. I just stared, as shocked as they were. When a huge, towering figure began to take form, I scrambled back, terrified. The two smart harpies ignored it, focusing on me and calling their comrades to do the same. They all shot toward me, screaming profanities, and I tore my gaze away from the figure to stare instead at the incoming monsters. I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, the figure resolve into three other shadowy forms, human-sized forms.

_Oh, great,_ I thought. _More monsters._ I closed my eyes tightly, waiting for death.

"Reyna, Coach Hedge, help him!" a young man's voice shouted, weak, but firm. Two people appeared beside me, one on my right, and one on my left.

"Bring it on!" the one on my right shouted. I saw that he brandished a baseball bat, but that was it.

"Come on, kid," the one on my left said kindly, but firmly. "Sit down over here and let us take care of this." She maneuvered me down beside another kid, just younger than me, and hurried back to join the other person, who was whapping the harpies out of the air, matching each of their curse words with a challenge of his own. The two smart harpies were still stupid; they dove at the guy, who smashed his bat down on them at the same time, vaporizing them. The girl drew a sword and slashed the harpies one after another, exploding them into gold dust. I noticed that the guy wore a brightly colored tropical shirt, and the girl wore armor over an equally bright purple shirt, each with writing on the front, though I couldn't read what they said.

Then I saw the guy's legs. He wasn't wearing any pants, but it had looked like he had because they were covered with fur. Peering closely, I could just make out the tips of horns poking out from his unruly mass of dark hair. I couldn't believe it. I rubbed my eyes and looked again, but it was true; the guy was a satyr. But the only reason I knew he was a satyr was because I was interested in mythological creatures. Satyrs were from Greek mythology, and... No way...

"Are you alright?" a soft, tired voice asked beside me. I jumped sky high and gripped my sword. The boy beside me lifted his hands to show that they were empty and repeated himself. "Are you alright?"

"Uh... er, yeah, I think..." I stuttered, my voice hoarse. It had been so long since I'd talked to other humans that I had trouble knowing what to say.

"Harpies can be pretty nasty," the young man beside me said. His tone suggested that he didn't usually initiate conversation either, so I guess he was just trying to help me relax. I was thankful for it.

"Yeah, yeah." I took a moment to inspect him. He was dressed in a bright, colorful tropical-touristy shirt like the satyr's that read _Isla del __Encantorico_ and black jeans that were ripped and splattered with mud and ruddy-brown splotches; I knew instantly the splotches were dried blood. Dark hair curled in his exhausted face, dipping into his jet black eyes, which focused on me, narrowing in recognition and confusion. Slash marks crisscrossed his biceps, inflamed against the pale skin around them and cut through by the dark lines of in-the-field stitching. I noticed a glint on his hand and saw a silver skull ring that made me shudder. This guy radiated death and darkness, despite the colorful shirt, but at the same time—maybe _because_ of the shirt—he seemed kind and generous, albeit in a dark way.

I happened to glance over his shoulder and saw a huge white foot. Terrified that it might be a monster, I leapt up and raise my sword. Instantly, the boy was there, one hand on each of my wrists as he stared me in the eye. He was just about my height, maybe a few inches shorter, but I only barely noticed this.

"Calm down," he said, in a voice that was smooth and firm. Despite his obvious fatigue, his gaze was lucid and sharp. Looking up at the figure behind him, I realized it was a statue. I blushed my embarrassment, and he started slightly. Immediately, he released my wrists and stepped back, biting the corner of his lip and furrowing his brow in agitation. I was too busy taking in the stature to care.

It was some forty feet tall, and made of something like ivory and gold. With the sun setting behind it, I could easily imagine that this was a very important statue.

It was a woman, one hand resting on a shield, from behind which a snake poked out. The pale-skinned woman was dressed in a gold robe-like dress, over which was battle armor, including helmet. A spear leaned up against one shoulder, and in her other hand she held a life-sized statue of what looked like an angel. The whole thing looked like it would come to life at any moment and start attacking anything in its path, but it stayed still, staring down at me like I was a strange insect that had crossed its path, like it was deciding whether to keep watching or just go ahead and crush me.

My inspection ended as the other two joined us, panting. The girl, who I guessed was Reyna, sheathed her sword and dropped to the ground to care for a cut on her arm. Having had to do the same on numerous occasions, I crouched beside her.

"May I...?" I asked, gesturing at the wound. She scowled, uncertain what to make of me.

"I've got nectar, and I can care for my own wounds," she said, pulling a satchel to her and taking out a small flask. She took two quick sips and handed the flask to the satyr, who had to be Coach Hedge, then reached back into the bag for a first-aid kit. The satyr downed a huge gulp, which cause the boy to snatch it away.

"You have a death wish, don't you, Coach?" he asked, taking the tiniest sip, no more than a drop or two, before handing it back to Reyna.

"Eh. Maybe," the satyr said, shrugging. He flopped down onto the ground and glanced at me. "So what's your name, cupcake? Who's your godly parent? What are you doing in the middle of no–"

"Hedge!" Reyna snapped. "Give the kid a break; he's exhausted..." she also glanced at me. "Oh, and injured." With that, she brought out the flask again and held it out to me. I stared at it, wary. What if they were really monsters, acting friendly to gain my trust before devouring me whole? Honestly, from what I'd seen, I wouldn't put it past them.

I could read their shirts, now; Hedge's shirt was almost identical to the boy's, though a bit more torn up and a bit less bloody, and Reyna's just had the letters 'SPQR' stamped in thick black print.

"It's nectar," the boy said when I didn't take the flask. "It'll heal you." I cast him a skeptical look.

"Not one for words, is he?" Coach Hedge chuckled. I frowned. "Well, serves him right if he dies." Fear shot through me and I snatched the flask. Then I hesitated, but took a tentative sip. Warmth flowed through my body, concentrating at my wounds. It tasted like warm, fresh, creamy macaroni and cheese, one of my favorite meals that my father used to cook for me. I wondered at it, and went to take another sip, but Reyna quickly grabbed it.

"Hold it, kid," she said, capping it and slipping it into her satchel. "Too much nectar and you'll burn up from the inside out. Now let me see about those wounds; nectar can only do so much." As she cared for my injuries, I glanced between her and the guy in black.

"What is it exactly?" I asked.

"Oh look! He _can_ talk!" the satyr exclaimed. The other two ignored him, so I did the same.

"Its nectar," Reyna explained, wiping off blood from my shoulder with an alcohol wipe, which made me wince. "The drink of the gods. It heals most any injury, but it can be pretty slow for major injuries. Ambrosia is the edible form, but we don't have any with us." She paused and tilted her head to the side to inspect me. "Are you Greek or Roman, kid?" I stared blankly.

"Why don't we start with introductions?" the boy said with a sigh of annoyance. "I'm Nico di Angelo. That's Coach Gleeson Hedge, a satyr protector, and this is Reyna Ramírez-Arellano, praetor of the Roman demigods."

"I'm Erasmus Porter," I answered automatically. Then I registered what he said. "...Demigods..." I sat down hard. All three of them bent over me worriedly. "It can't be... Those gods don't exist!" Reyna snorted, and Coach Hedge guffawed. Nico frowned.

"I said the same thing not too long ago," he said, "and here I am, a son of Hades."

"Hades," I repeated, feeling the blood drain from my face. "But... Hades is the god of the underworld, the equivalent of Satan."

"Satan?" Reyna said, surprised. "You mean you–"

"I'm a Christian," I confirmed. "I don't believe in any gods except the Lord, but..." My head was spinning. If ancient pagan gods existed, did that mean the God of the Bible was a myth? I shook, refusing to believe that I had been living a lie until this moment.

"Hey," Nico said gently, crouching next to me and reaching out, pulling back just before he touched my shoulder. His hand blurred like smoke for a moment, but when I looked again, it was solid; I must have imagined it.

"Until very recently," he continued, "the Romans and the Greeks didn't believe the others existed. And then Camp Half-Blood met Camp Jupiter. The Greek and Roman gods are both still alive and present, albeit at war with themselves. Why can't your God be alive as well?"

"It's not... You don't... It doesn't work like that," I whispered mournfully. I ran my hands through my hair, and again Nico pulled away, staring at the ground and biting the corner of his lip. I saw another flicker in his eyes, this time of pain.

"We can debate the existence of gods later," Coach Hedge said after a short pause. "Right now, I'm hungry; let's eat, and then get some sleep. We've still got a long way to go." Following his own advice, he reached into his own bag and brought out some fresh fruit and sandwiches.

After almost a month of nothing but berries, roots, and the occasional bit of leftovers I could scavenge from trash cans and corner stores, my mouth watered at the sight. Reyna took the food and doled out some of everything to everyone, giving Coach Hedge the wrappers and plastic bags. He devoured them instantly. Reyna ate quickly, but in a strangely delicate way, and Nico took a tired bite out of his sandwich, looking like he was about to collapse at any moment. I took my portion and tried to savor it, but it was gone too quickly.

Reyna must have seen the sadness and disappointment in my face, because she took Coach's bag long enough to bring out another sandwich that she silently handed it to me. I thanked her and gulped it down in just a few bites. Nico and Reyna both watched me with vague familiarity, as though they had seen me somewhere but couldn't remember where. At least, Reyna couldn't remember where; Nico seemed to know exactly where, and didn't really enjoy it.

Finally, Reyna snapped her fingers.

"Percy," she said. "That's who he reminds me of." Nico looked away quickly, and I wondered if he and this Percy guy were enemies. I frowned.

"Who's Percy?" I asked. The name was familiar, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out why.

"Only the most stupid demigod in existence!" Coach Hedge cried, belching. "In his first summer at Camp Half-Blood, he was accused of stealing Zeus' master bolt, and destroyed half of America to find it." That clicked; Percy Jackson. His face had been plastered all over the news as a menace for several weeks before my dad died, acquitted later when it was discovered he'd been kidnapped. I wondered now what the real story was.

"During his second summer," Hedge continued blithely, "he sought out and battled more monsters than most demigods meet in a lifetime, just to get the Golden Fleece. He became invincible for a while in his third summer to defeat Kronos and demolished the Labyrinth in his fourth, and just last summer, he and Jason brought the Romans and Greeks together! Stupid kid for a son of Poseidon."

"Master bolt? Labyrinth? Jason?" I was more confused than I'd been my entire life. Certain things were memorable from the myths of ancient Greece I'd studied, like Jason and the Golden Fleece, but I got the feeling it wasn't the same Jason, especially given the looks of respect on Reyna and Nico's faces.

"...Long story..." the latter muttered. He glanced at me and I saw something in his gaze that, for some reason, I recognized, but couldn't place. "Let's get some sleep; Coach is right, we're going to need it. Reyna?"

"I got it," she said, putting her fingers to her lips and whistling. Two metal dogs appeared out of nowhere, bounding over to their mistress' side. I stared in amazement at the gold and silver dogs, and they stared back with glinting ruby eyes, as though trying to decide whether I'd make a good snack.

"Aurum and Argentum," Reyna said, patting the dogs on the head. "Just ignore them, Erasmus; we'll stand guard while you sleep."

"Thanks," Nico managed, his eyelids drooping. With that, he stretched out on his back, crossed his legs at the ankles, and tucked his arms under each other. Coach Hedge grunted and tromped around in a circle for a moment before curling up like a dog.

I lay back, and almost immediately fell into a restless sleep filled with disjointed images; my dreams were as scattered as always.

Until Nico stepped into them.

My dream landscape settled on the hills outside the house I'd stayed in with my dad before he died. It was night, oddly enough, and the full moon lit up the scenery almost as efficiently as the sun. Nico stood beside a couple of chairs on the porch, looking around in surprise.

"Y-you're in my dream!" I exclaimed, awed. He glanced over at me, blinking, and then recovered, shaking his head.

"This is a first," he muttered. "Usually I get pulled into Clovis' dreams."

"Clovis...?" I felt a, sadly, familiar sense of confusion settle on me.

"It's not important," Nico said, waving dismissively. He focused, and then frowned. "What the...?" Focusing again, he gritted his teeth in agitation when nothing happened. "Why can't I...?" Breaking off, he looked at me, annoyed. I felt certain he'd love to slap me upside the head and blame me for whatever trouble he was having. Could you get stuck in someone else's dreams? At least mine had settled for once; I didn't like the constant shifting back and forth between my past and images I couldn't understand.

"Whoever you are, you're powerful," Nico admitted, grudgingly impressed. "No one has ever been able to keep me in a dream if I want to leave." Sighing, he glanced at the chairs, about to sit, and then shook his head, apparently deciding not to sit. Instead, he stepped off the porch and strode past me, jerking his head in a clear invitation. "Mind walking with me?"

Hurrying over, I caught up as he reached the gate, and held it open for him. He nodded his thanks, silent and thoughtful. I wondered what he was thinking about, and remembered his reaction when Coach talked of Percy. I knew the name and face, but the person was still a mystery to me.

"So, this Percy..." I prompted as we left the house behind, passing the only other house in the area and continuing toward the hills. Nico tensed, glancing at me, his steps faltering for a moment. His eyes were shining in the starlight, and now I could read the pain and sorrow as easily as a book.

"...Percy Jackson was the first demigod I ever met that was aware of his abilities," he said softly. I heard the pain as easily as I'd seen it. "He protected my sister and I from a manticore before we realized who we really were. He... was my hero." Gauging his emotions, I took a leap, hoping that he couldn't kill me in a dream.

"I reckon he was more than a hero," I said gently. Now Nico stopped. I paused two steps later.

"Who are you?" he asked tersely. "You look about fifteen, sixteen, but you somehow managed to survive without knowing anything about demigods and monsters. You pulled me into a dream and kept me here, something even Clovis can't do. You talk little, if at all, yet still you see something in me that I've managed to keep hidden from Percy and the others for several years, and you've known me for less than an hour. _Who are you?_" I stared at him. He'd just proven my theory, all but saying it aloud, and at the same time asked a question I couldn't answer. Obviously the former was a taboo subject with him, so I switched tracks to the latter.

"...I don't know," I answered, staring into the rolling mounds that I used to watch for hours as a child, wondering if they really could roll. Oh, to be a worriless child again. "Not anymore. I used to be the son of a great Christian. I used to be a great Christian myself. I used to be... I used to be an average kid. Now..." I sighed. "Now I'm a freak."

Nico scared the living daylights out of me; he took the two steps between us in an instant and slapped me across the face. Stunned, I raised my hand to my stinging cheek as he jabbed his finger at my nose.

"Never. Say that. Again." His eyes flashed in anger and frustration. "You are _not_ a freak. Even if you were, what would that make me? I control the dead! I command legions of ghosts! Compared to me, you _are_ a normal kid, Erasmus!" I shivered when he said my name; part of me loved it, but I tamped that part down as quickly as I could.

Waves of cold darkness radiated from him, shrouding us both. Aware of how close he was, and knowing his preference, I wanted to take a step back, but I was mesmerized by his eyes. Though they were a dark, almost-black brown, they shone like gold in the light of the moon that made it through the shroud of darkness. I couldn't stop staring, and he seemed to realize this; he stepped past me, continuing toward the hills and muttering unintelligibly. I followed silently just a few steps behind.

The darkness faded, and the stars shone brightly. I found the Big Dipper, and turned to look across the sky. I located the three stars of Orion's Belt and imagined the hunter firing shooting stars at the bull as he tried to reach the Seven Sisters.

Something about thinking the hunter's name sent a chill up my spine, like he was right behind me...

"Erasmus!" The sharp warning tone brought my attention back to earth. I had been walking backward, and whirled as Nico called my name, just in time to collide with him. We fell, and I landed practically on top of him. He stared at me, his face slowly flooding red. I stared back, feeling a sudden knot form in my stomach. The feeling shifted and I shoved myself off him before he could realize my reaction. I stood and tentatively held out my hand to help him up. He took it, cautiously, and let me pull him upright. When I didn't let go immediately, he jerked his hand away, blushing furiously.

"Stop taunting me!" he hissed. "You know my secret; keep it that way, or I'll haunt you long after you die." I was tempted to blackmail him, but I knew I couldn't do that. Besides, I had to deal with the sinful pleasure I'd felt being on top of him. The thought sent a wave of tingling nerves through my body and I began to blush again. I covered my face with my hand and looked away.

"Erasmus?" Nico was annoyed and confused, but I couldn't explain anything. Even if I tried, he wouldn't understand. Would he?

No; no one would ever understand me.

Steeling my long-time resolve, I shook my hand dismissively as I turned and headed back toward my childhood home.

"Good night, Nico," I said, succinctly. He didn't say anything, but I felt him, I sensed him behind me, like a disturbance... A disturbance in what?

Just as I reached the house, my dreams dissolved into snippets of scenes, as they had been every night since the incident with Marbella. I saw a woman in forest green breaking through the ground, I saw a camp in flames, I saw bodies littering fields, and I saw an old-looking ship that flew through the air. I also saw a pair of kids just younger than me, a boy and a girl, who didn't seem to fit with the rest of the snippets, and I wondered if I would ever get to meet the people I saw in my dreams.


	2. Chapter 2

The empousai seemed determined to kill me. I was sure they were tracking me, or something...

I woke to smells of something cooking. It was early evening, which I was almost positive meant we'd slept through the day. Reyna knelt by a tiny fire nearby, cooking some kind of meat on a make-shift spit. Sitting up, I saw Coach Hedge beating up imaginary monsters with his bat and shouting random challenges. I didn't see Nico, but the statue was right where it had been the night before.

"Oh, good," Reyna said, cutting some of the meat off onto a napkin. "You're up. Normally we don't eat meat—no time to cook it—but every once in a while, we manage it." She handed me the napkin, just about scalding my hand, and cut more onto another napkin for herself. The rest she moved to a cooler part of the fire to keep it warm without burning it before digging into her food. I mumbled a quick prayer of thanks and began eating as well.

As I nibbled, savoring food I hadn't had in over a month, I noticed Coach Hedge drop his bat and bound over to his bag, rummaging through it to pull out a pad of paper and a pen. He plopped down right there and began scribbling.

My attention shifted as Nico appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and glanced at the remaining meat. He took what was left and sat between me and Reyna to eat. He gave no indication that anything had happened the night before, and I followed his example, though I couldn't help watching him, wondering if he really had been in my dream, or if I'd just... Well, if I'd just _dreamt_ it. He seemed distracted—but unfortunately that didn't confirm or deny my suspicions—and missed Reyna's question.

"Oy, Nico!" I called, snapping my fingers in front of him. He jumped and looked up.

"What?" A sliver of fear in his eyes told me he expected me to confront him in front of his friends. Ok, so last night's dream had actually happened. I gestured at Reyna, mentally chuckling at the irony.

"Are you ready to go?" she repeated. "Hedge thinks it'll only take one more trip, but we're both worried about..." She trailed off, her gaze dropping to Nico's hand, which wavered in the shadow of his own leg, like it wanted to melt and join the shadow. This time, I knew I wasn't imagining it. Clenching his fist back into solid form, Nico stood, wiping all emotion from his face, and went to the statue.

"I'm fine; let's go," he said. "Maybe we can get there this time." At the base of the statue, he messed with a tangle of ropes I hadn't noticed before. Reyna sighed and turned to me.

"Would... Would you like to come with us?" she asked. The hesitance in her voice suggested that she didn't relish either the idea of taking me, or the idea of leaving me to the harpies.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"We're going to Camp Half-Blood!" Coach Hedge cut in, his voice loud and victorious. By the excitement in his face, I half expected him to jump up and down and do an Irish jig. He chucked a paper airplane into the air and it floated off. I wondered absently where it was going.

"Is it...?" I struggled to find the word I wanted.

"Safe? Relatively," Nico said, tugging the ropes onto his shoulders. "Fun? Depends. Going to last much longer? Not likely."

"Hey, sunshine," Coach Hedge said brusquely, hands on his furry hips. "We're taking the Athena Parthenos there to make peace, so that it _does_ survive." He glanced up at the sky, a solemn look touching his features. "Actually, if we wait a little bit longer..."

"The Athena Parthenos...?" I was stunned. I had read about the giant statue, but I had been sure the original was missing. Could this really be it?

"Alright, time to go," Nico said. He leaned casually against the ropes binding him to the statue.

"Nico, are you sure?" Reyna said, her features twisting in agitated worry. He gave her a bland look, reaching up to yank on the ropes.

"What do you think, Reyna?" he asked pointedly. Reyna's gaze hardened and she crossed her arms, setting her jaw.

"No," she said firmly. "You need more rest, Nico di Angelo, and don't you dare try to argue with me." I noted a slight distance in her eyes, like part of her was somewhere else, dealing with an entirely different problem.

"I just tied in," Nico growled, sounding almost like a petulant six-year-old. I had to cover my mouth and fake a cough to hide my laughter at the thought.

"We should stay and rest," Coach Hedge said, clearing his throat. "You really need it, especially after fighting all those werewolves, _and_ Orion." For a moment, I thought he was joking. When I saw how serious he was, a cold finger tickled my spine; perhaps my dream last night, the fear that Orion was watching... Maybe it wasn't unfounded after all.

"And what if he catches up to us again?" Nico returned sharply. "We need to keep moving."

"No, you need _rest_," Reyna said firmly, putting her foot down. Figuratively, anyway. "If you shadow-travel much more, you won't survive." Any humor that might have lingered due to the rather amusing three-way argument vanished instantly. I didn't know what shadow-travel was, but the idea that Nico would kill himself with it didn't appeal to me in the least.

"Ahem," I cut in, raising my hand to get their attention. "Sorry for interrupting... I'm sure my opinion doesn't count for much, but if you're endangering yourself, Nico, you should at least be as rested as you can be."

"Thank you," Reyna said pointedly, stepping forward and grabbing one of the ropes. "Come on, Nico; get some more rest, before you keel over. Or worse, try to shadow-travel and get lost." Nico bristled, tightening his grip on the rope harness, but I could tell he got light-headed for a moment; he gritted his teeth and locked his knees. Reyna must have thought he was being stubborn.

"Nico, please, before you kill yourself..." she began. I pulled her away, cutting her off, and put my hands on either side of Nico's head. Reyna started to protest.

"Quiet," I said simply. I'll bet she wasn't used to having others tell her to shut up, because her jaw dropped, though she did go silent. Nico's breathing was quick and shallow, but I could only tell because I stood right next to him.

"Breathe," I said softly. "Just close your eyes and breath." He complied, taking deep, slow breaths. I studied him as he slowly recovered. His features blurred slightly and my hands sank into his temples. Jerking my hands away, I stepped back. "Nico?"

"I..." He looked down at his hands, which were turning wispy and gray, like shadows. Cursing, he clenched his fists and growled through clenched teeth.

"It's nothing," he hissed, shoving the ropes off his shoulders.

"That's not nothing," Hedge said darkly. "If you're not careful, di Angelo..."

"Drop it," Nico growled. The satyr held up his hands in surrender and turned away, heading for a cornfield I passed through just before collapsing last night. I vaguely hear him murmur something about a funeral before he was out of ear-shot.

"Get some rest, Nico," Reyna said, sighing. "We'll stand guard, and I'll talk to Erasmus." Nico nodded, but looked agitated. He cast me a wary, warning glance as he stepped past me and went to the nearest tree, where he dropped to the ground and curled up. Reyna hesitated, then shrugged off her cloak, strode over, and laid it out over him. He was already asleep, but he gripped the edge of the cloak and pulled it tighter around him, shifting uncomfortably.

"Come on," Reyna said to me, keeping her voice low. "Let's go check the perimeter and make sure Hedge isn't getting into trouble."

Coach Hedge was already assisting the farmer in the harvest. That is, he was picking ears and chewing them up whole, grunting and muttering something about the quality of the corn. I chuckled as Reyna scowled and pressed a hand to her forehead.

"Hey! Want some?" Hedge greeted, holding up an ear of corn.

"Does this qualify as 'trouble'?" I asked innocently. Reyna grunted and rolled her eyes.

"Can we postpone the talk until later?" she said, not amused. "I've got another talk that demands attention..." Striding toward the satyr with that displeased look in her eye, I was suddenly glad I wasn't in Coach Hedge's shoes. Or, I guess, _hooves_.

"Keep an eye on Nico for me, would you?" she called back over her shoulder. I raised a hand so she'd know I heard her, and then went back the way we'd come, dropping into a crouch beside the son of Hades and leaning my shoulder against the tree. Keeping watch for any sort of trouble, I used the opportunity to inspect him further. His face was thin, his eyelashes long and dark against the pale skin of his cheeks. His hair, black as ebony, was about shoulder length and layered, but looked like he hadn't even trimmed it in months—the layers must have been natural, for once. Most people I'd met with layered hair had spent too much at a barber shop.

His hair shaded his face, fluttering slightly in the light breeze. His shoulders were broad for his size, but at the same time trim, if that was possible. His arms looked like they could hold a bit of muscle, but it was hard to tell under the cloak. I did remember that he had the arms of a swordsman, though. The long tapering fingers of his hands gave him the look of an undertaker, which didn't surprise me, and I knew they could probably handle a sword, a pen, or a paintbrush, each with equal skill.

I pulled out the small metal disk I'd found a couple of weeks ago in a parking lot and took a look at my reflection. It was something of a lucky token for me, because it was just after I'd found it that I got my club, followed by my short sword. The disk was about an inch and a half to two inches across and polished to a mirrored shine on one side. The bronze surface acted very much like a regular mirror, and I used it now to inspect my face. Shaggy, black-brown hair slipped into my eyes and I shoved it back. My bright, blue-tinted green eyes skipped over the image, taking in tanned skin and a constant hint of a crooked smile.

With a sigh, I put the disk back in my pocket and wondered if I really looked like Percy. His black hair looked much better on him than mine did on me, and my eyes weren't quite as intoxicatingly sea-colored, like his were. You could drown in his eyes; mine, you'd be lucky if you could get up a decent splash.

"Look, look!" a high voice cut into my thoughts. "I told you I saw something!" I recognized the voice of an empousa and shook Nico's shoulder, holding my hand up in case he spoke. But it was an unnecessary caution; he blinked and sat up to look over at me, confused, muffling a yawn in his fist. I put a finger to my lips and motioned for him to listen.

"You're right," a second empousa said. "There is something here." The monsters were just behind us, on the other side of the tree. I hoped desperately that they wouldn't see us.

Three empousai stepped around the tree and inspected the statue, frowning. Their backs were to us, so they hadn't noticed us yet.

"What is it?" one of them wondered aloud.

"It's a statue, idiot," another said. I turned to Nico while they began bickering.

"Run?" I mouthed. He shook his head and pushed the cloak off, lifting a sheath. I hadn't noticed it before, but now I saw the dark sword. He held it out to me and gestured at the empousai. I reached for my sword, only to realize I'd taken it off and left it by the statue, along with my club. I glanced at him and he held up the sheath again.

"Kill them," he mouthed. I hesitated.

"Yours," I mouthed back, pointing at the sword. He rolled his eyes in exasperation and shoved the sword into my hands. I shivered as I felt the cold metal.

"Too weak," he mouthed, putting one hand on his chest. "You go." I glanced at the empousai, who were sniffing the air, saying they could smell demigods. Nodding, I stood and drew the sword from its sheath, making a faint singing note. All three empousai whirled toward me. They blinked in confusion, their gazes swinging around as though they were partially blind and couldn't see me. I felt a breeze of sorts whisking about me, like it was trying to hide me.

"Now!" Nico cried behind me. I leapt forward, silently, and slashed at the first empousa. She melted into shadows with a shriek. The new death startled me, but I had no time to consider it; the other two turned, their hateful red eyes finally focusing on me. One darted forward and raked her claws across my shoulder, but I just winced and swung Nico's blade at her exposed side. She vanished as well, and the last one backed up a step, glaring at me.

"How does a son of my mistress have such a blade?" she hissed, her fiery hair flaring in distress.

"A friend lent it to me," I answered, staying tense. The empousa eyed me and the sword, which I suddenly noticed was made of some kind of black metal that seemed to absorb light and warmth from the air around it. I shuddered and gripped the hilt tighter, hoping it wouldn't kill me to use it.

"And where's your 'friend?'" she asked bitingly. "Did they die? Oh, I hope it was a horrible, painful death." I was surprised that she hadn't seen Nico, who was perfectly visible if she dropped her gaze down and to the right, but I didn't call him to her attention.

"He's not dead," I growled protectively. "And as long as I have some say in the matter, he'll stay that way." I heard a slight, sharp intake of breath behind me. Apparently, so did the empousa, because her gaze shot past me and she frowned for a moment before grinning.

"So you have learned some tricks already," she giggled. I decided at that moment that I hated giggling. "Too bad Marbella failed her assignment, because now the pleasure of killing you, and your friend, goes to me!" She cackled like a maniac and dashed at me. I tensed, ready for her, and realized, at the last moment, that she wasn't going for me.

"NO!" I roared, whirling as she slipped past me. It was the first time I'd raised my voice since I was a toddler, and my cry felt powerful, like it was charged with electricity. Nico gasped, both at the ferocity of my shout, and at the monster bearing down on him. The sudden fear in his wide eyes made me furious. How dare the empousa attack him while he was recovering!

_Punch her!_ an inner voice cried. Acting on my own advice, I stretched out my hand and envisioned punching the monster as hard as I could in her face.

To my utter surprise, the empousa stopped short, as though she'd run into an invisible wall, and staggered back, clutching at her nose.

"No!" she wailed. "My face! You destroyed my beautiful face!" She whirled to look at me, blood pouring from her broken nose.

"Me?" I stuttered, still shocked. "I didn't touch you!"

"That's it!" Nico cried, jumping to his feet. He still looked tired, but excitement lit up his face. "You're a magician, Erasmus! A son of Hecate!"

"No, don't tell him!" the empousa howled. She spun to face Nico again, and he paled as he reached for his sword and remembered that he'd given it to me.

"Nico!" I shouted, chucking the blade like a spear. His eyes widened, and the empousa turned to see what he did. She saw the incoming blade and shrieked in terror, diving out of the way just in time. Nico ducked and the sword _thunk_ed into the tree near his head. He reached up, grabbed the blade, and shouted as he ripped it from the trunk, slicing down on the empousa's neck just as she looked up. Shadows trickled off the blade like some kind of liquid and sank into the ground as I hurried up.

"Stay dead a while..." Nico muttered, sheathing his blade and scowling at the vanishing puddle of shadows at his feet.

"You ok?" I asked. He shrugged and looked over at me, brushing dirt from his clothes.

"Are you?" he countered. I hesitated, frowning.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, for one, you have a pretty deep gash on your shoulder." I glanced down and stared at the three long, jagged cuts left by the empousa's claws. When I looked up again, Nico was holding out a flask identical to the one in Reyna's satchel. I would have said it _was_ the same, except it was only half the size of Reyna's. I took a sip and handed it back. He tucked it into his pants pocket.

"And for two," he continued, eying me cautiously, "you just found out who your godly parent is. Speaking of, I'll have to tell Percy that some of them aren't claiming their kids."

"Huh?" I blinked, trying to follow him. When he mentioned Percy, I felt my chest constrict, but I pushed aside the feeling for now.

"A few summers ago, when he helped defeat the Titan Kronos, Percy made the gods promise they would claim their kids, because there were so many demigods that didn't understand why monsters were attacking them, and because so many demigods felt abandoned by their godly parent. If you didn't know about all of this until now, then Hecate didn't claim you." He frowned. "Although, considering the fact that it's been two or three years since she was suppose to, and you've survived it all, I'm beginning to think she did so on purpose, to keep you from being noticed by monsters straight away."

"Wait, wait," I said, holding up my hands and stepping back. "Are you saying monsters find demigods when they turn _thirteen_?"

"Yeah," he answered, grimacing as he recalled something from his past. "Or sooner, if the demigod realizes what they are before then. And if a demigod doesn't get found by satyrs and taken to Camp Half-Blood before they turn thirteen, chances of them surviving drops each day. Very few are lucky enough to survive for even a year on their own, and even fewer, like Annabeth and Luke, manage to survive for more than a year."

"Annabeth and Luke?" I asked. He winced, and I figured I'd hit a sore point.

"Luke was the counselor of the Hermes cabin at Camp Half-Blood," he explained, "until he stole Zeus' master bolt, and turned traitor to become Kronos' host. And Annabeth is... Percy's girlfriend."

"Oh," I whispered. Now I understood why he was so closed off about his feelings. The one he liked already had someone. I felt so bad for him, and without thinking, I gave him a hug. For a moment, he tensed, startled and scared. Then he relaxed, and hugged me back, hesitantly.

"So what's with all the hugs?" Nico, startled, shoved me back. I tripped and landed on my back.

"N-nothing," he answered, edging away from me. Reyna stood by the statue, leaning against the shield, and gave him a skeptically amused look.

"Judging by all the scuffing, I'd say some monsters attacked," Coach Hedge said, pouting. "And I missed all the fun..."

"If you were thanking Erasmus for saving your hide," Reyna said, grinning, "you don't have to be ashamed of it." Nico flushed in what looked like anger, but I could see the embarrassment and relief.

"It wasn't like that!" he exclaimed. Supposedly fuming, he stomped back to the tree and muttered something as he dropped to the ground, crossing his arms and staring into the distance.

"Then what was it like?" Reyna asked, turning to me. I shrugged.

"I found out that I'm a... a son of Hecate," I said.

"Ah," she said, nodding. Then she frowned, eying me. "Actually..."

"Is that a problem?" I asked, a bit miffed. First she cuts into my religion by saying that the ancient gods exist, which puts my God into question, and now it's an issue that one of my parents is one of those ancient gods.

It hit me full force, then. I was a son of Hecate. My father had fallen in love with a goddess. But... How could he, if he didn't believe they existed?

I groaned, pressing my fingertips to my eyes, hoping to relieve the pressure building behind them.

"What's wrong, now?" Coach Hedge snapped. "Man up, cupcake!"

"It's... nothing," I managed. "Um, I'm going to go for a walk; I'll be back soon." Without waiting for a reply, I strode off into the corn field.

"What's up with him?" I heard Coach Hedge grunt as I left.

The swishing of the corn as I passed helped me calm down, and I tried to think through everything in a rational manner. If the facts given me were to be believed, then my father had fallen in love with a goddess from ancient Greece, and I was one of many demigods in the world.

I still couldn't quite accept it in context with Christianity. If the gods of ancient Greece and Rome were real, then my God must not exist...

No, He could exist; He'd said in the Bible to have no other gods before Him, not that there were no other gods. He even made a point of saying that He was above all other gods. So maybe Hecate and Zeus, and all the other gods _were_ real. My God was simply greater than those.

I felt much better when I concluded this, and my thoughts turned to Nico. His embarrassed face came to mind, and I winced as I realized how cute he was when he blushed. That sin of mine, the one I'd tried so hard to bury, was surfacing again. I let the burn simmer in my body for a few minutes, savoring the pleasure, and then quenched it, reburying it as I headed back.

The biggest problem with being a purportedly powerful demigod is that monsters tend to find me with apparent ease.

Just as I reached the others, Aurum and Argentum tensed and began growling. I thought for a moment they were glaring at me, their ears flattened to their metal skulls, but Reyna cursed and drew her sword, looking past me. I realized my monster compass was pinging behind me; I spun and saw a group of monsters gesturing wildly at us as they rallied themselves. Darting past the dogs, I snatched up my sword and club from the base of the statue and turned, ready for battle. Beside me, Coach Hedge brandished his bat, but Nico didn't draw his sword. He took a deep breath, and stood tall at the front of our group. I could see that he was still tired, but I could also see his frustration at having more monsters to battle so soon.

"Get them!" an empousa screamed. Two harpies rose up from the ranks and shot forward to make the first attack. Reyna and I took them out easily.

"Coach, take the empousa," Nico ordered. "Erasmus, the telkhines. Reyna, have Aurum and Argentum help him; you and I have the Cyclops." Since I knew Cyclops and empousa, I figured the dark, seal-skinned, dog-like creatures were telkhines. I counted a dozen of them, and prayed to God they weren't very smart, or they'd overwhelm me, despite my canine assistants.

"Aurum, Argentum, stay with Erasmus," Reyna ordered, shifting next to Nico. I prayed silently for strength and glanced at the others.

"Good luck and God bless," I said. Then I dashed forward and tore past the monsters, Reyna's dogs at my heels. They stuck to me as I headed for a clear spot at the edge of the cornfield.

"Stop him!" the empousa cried. The telkhines raced after me, and the Cyclops turned to do so as well.

"Hey ugly!" Coach shouted. Both the Cyclops and the empousa whirled.

"Who are you calling ugly, ugly?" the latter exclaimed.

"You, ugly!" I tried not to laugh at their 'ugly' contest, and turned to face the telkhines, Aurum and Argentum growling, battle-ready, on either side of me. The first four went as easily as the harpies had, two to my sword and one to each of the dogs, but the other eight drew back a bit to reevaluate. As they did, I wondered if I could possibly distract them with magic. I focused on them. For a long while nothing happened. Then, just as I imagined, one of them stumbled forward into another.

"What was that for?" the offended one demanded in a squeaky voice.

"I didn't do anything," the other answered, its voice high and nasally. "Someone pushed me!"

"Yeah right!" the first said, shoving the second. A tussle broke out, ending with the second exploding into gold dust, along with two others that had sided with him. The rest turned to me and charged. Aurum, the gold one, leapt forward, colliding with two of the remaining five, and distracting a third. I swept my sword down at it, severing its head immediately, and spun to do the same to the next as Argentum, the silver dog, engaged the last, but my target swerved to the side at the last moment, lunging and clamping its jaws down on my leg. I bit back a scream of pain and clubbed its head. It growled and bit down harder. I whapped it a second time, envisioning the club gaining enough speed and power to kill the monster. It did. I dropped to my knees while the gold dust fluttered away on the wind. Argentum finished off his opponent and rushed over to help Aurum.

A cry of surprise and pain brought my attention to the others, just in time to see Reyna fly through the air and collide with a tree. I winced, hissing, as her body almost wrapped around the trunk and then fell to the ground.

"Reyna!" Nico cried. He ducked under the Cyclops' hand as it swiped at him and stabbed at it, making the beast yowl in pain. I saw Coach Hedge taking on the empousa with his bare hands, having lost the bat, screaming insults back and forth with her. The satyr would be no help to the others, and now Nico was fighting a Cyclops alone. Fury poured adrenaline through my veins.

"Argentum, Aurum, protect Reyna!" I commanded, leaping to my feet. I didn't have to tell them twice; the dogs shot across the grass and hovered over their mistress, growling and glaring around as if the very air were a threat.

For my part, I made the distance in record time and jumped onto the Cyclops' back just as it went to smash Nico. It stopped and began swatting at me while I made my way up its back to its head. Nico, below, sliced at the monsters legs.

Together, we stabbed it, him from below, me from above. It evaporated into dust and I realized my mistake; I hovered a good ten feet or more above the ground for a millisecond before plummeting. With a squawk of surprise, I landed on Nico.

"Do you always have to land on me?" he grunted, shoving me off. I hid my blush under what I hoped passed for a scowl.

"It's not always my fault!" I retorted, standing and dusting myself off.

"Hey! Quit arguing and go help Reyna!" Coach Hedge yelled, kicking the empousa back. He snatched up a rock and brought it down on her. She went out screaming insults.

Meanwhile, Nico and I raced over to help Reyna, who was slowly sitting up. I snatched her satchel, yanked out the flask, and handed it to her. She took it and managed a few drops before handing it back to me, reaching over to steady herself on Aurum's back.

"Thank you," she panted. "Take some yourself, but not too much; we're running out." I nodded, and dribble three or four drops onto my tongue, savoring the macaroni and cheese flavor, and handed it off to Nico. He capped it and tucked it back into her bag. I frowned at him, but pursed my lips shut.

"Let's get back to the statue," Coach Hedge said, joining us. "We're safer there than out here in the open." He reached down to help Reyna up, but she stumbled before she took two steps, grabbing Aurum before she collapsed. Argentum whined and pawed at her leg, looking up at her in concern. I took her arm and pulled it across my shoulders, helping her stand properly as she patted the dog's head reassuringly. Then Nico took her other arm and we supported her back to the Athena Parthenos. The statue seemed to look down on us sternly, as though saying we were fools for staying here and not continuing our mission.

I realized as I considered it that I thought of myself as part of the group. I shook my head and flicked myself in the forehead to forgo anymore such thoughts. Whatever was going on here, I was only involved until we got to safety; I had no part in their mission.

It was dusk, now, and the sun had begun setting, painting the sky with red and orange. I was surprised it wasn't any later, given how much had just happened, but at the same time, I was oddly grateful time wasn't flying by.

After Reyna stitched up my shoulder from the empousai attack, as well as my leg from the telkhine bite just a little while ago, she laid down to rest, Hedge taking the watch with the dogs while Nico vanished to wherever he had earlier. Assured that they were alright without me for now, I went for a walk into the woods and climbed a tall tree to get a good view of the sunset. The streaked sky was gorgeous and I reveled in the moment of peace. I thanked God for all the blessings He'd given me today; a warm breakfast—or supper, I guess; it was so long ago, according to my stomach, it didn't really matter—victory over the empousai, and another victory over another group of monsters.

_What about Nico?_ my inner voice asked. _Are you thankful for him?_ I tried to ignore myself, but it's not as easy as it sounds.

_Shut up,_ I grumbled.

_It's a serious question,_ my inner voice grouched. _He's just the kind of guy y-_

_SHUT UP!_ I shouted at myself. It left me alone, but only for a minute or two.

_Did you see him blush this morning?_ it asked. I groaned. _He couldn't meet your gaze; but I'm sure if he had, he would have seen the d-_

_Shut the hell up!_ I would have used much more colorful language, but I was trying to avoid it.

_He's a child of that god Hades,_ my inner voice persisted. _He knows a thing or two about dark secrets... In fact, he p-_ This time, I didn't have to interrupt it.

"Erasmus?" Not that I was much happier with who did. I leaned out as far as I could to see down to the base of the tree.

"Up here, Nico," I said. He glanced up and blinked in surprise when he saw me.

"What are you doing up there?" he asked. I shrugged, almost losing my grip on the tree.

"Watching the sunset," I answered. He nodded, like he'd expected that answer.

"Well, Reyna told me to come get you," he said. "She's handing out some food before she goes to sleep." My mouth instantly began watering. Breakfast, or supper, or whatever it was, suddenly seemed like months ago. I scrambled to get down... and then I _did_ lose my grip. With a gasp, I tumbled down, crashing into several branches on the way. I landed on Nico... again. But this time was worse, because our lips touched.

I jerked back, scrambling off of him and blushing furiously. I covered my mouth with my hand as I hit the tree, mortified. He just lay there, staring upward in shock. When he didn't move for a long while, I crawled slowly toward him, the heat in my cheeks cooling just a bit. I waved my hand in front of his face, but he just kept staring.

"Nico?" I leaned over him to try getting his attention. He reached up and grabbed my neck, surprising me. I tried to pull away, but he was stronger than I expected, and he pulled me down. This time, when our lips met, it wasn't a mistake. He pressed his mouth to mine for what seemed an eternity before he let go, falling back to the ground. His long black hair shaded his eyes, but his cheeks reddened and he bit his lip. For my part, I turned redder than a ripe tomato, my face burning again. I started to stand, hoping to get far away, but he grabbed my wrist.

"Tell me something," he whispered, his voice low and husky, sending shivers up my spine. Not of fear, I knew, but I definitely, desperately wanted to avoid naming it, my sinful delight. "What does your religion say about that?"

"W-what...? What does that have to do with t-" I stuttered.

"Just answer the question, Erasmus," he said. Shame touched me, making me want to run away and hide for eternity, curled up in a hole somewhere.

"I... It's not... It's not proper," I mumbled, still bushing. I couldn't even look at him anymore, much less meet his gaze, which I knew was focused on me. Shifting, I brought my knees up and dropped my head onto my arm, which I rested on them.

"Then why did you let me?" he asked. Had I had my other arm free, I would have crossed them over my knees and hidden my face. As it was, I could only half hide, so I knew he could see the blush deepen.

"I- I don't know..." I managed. He sat up and tugged on my arm, forcing me to uncurl or fall over. I looked up and saw his dark eyes flashing, partially in anger, partially in embarrassment.

"You don't _know_?" he demanded. I felt a twinge deep in my gut, and I tried to force it down. I put on a scowl, but even I could tell it was forced and weak.

"Alright, fine. Honestly, I do know," I answered, "but I sure as hell am not telling you!" I jerked my arm free and shoved to my feet, but made it only two steps before he caught up. He swung around in front of me, blocking my path, and glared. I swallowed my heart.

"I think I have a right to know," he spat, "since it involves me."

"Why did you kiss me?" I demanded, turning it back on him. He blinked, but recovered and crossed his arms, a veil coming down over his emotions.

"_That_ is _my_ business," he said. I laughed humorlessly.

"So you can pry into my private dealings, but I can't ask about yours?" I threw up my hands and snorted. He opened his mouth to say something, and paused.

"Point taken," he said finally, yielding, though he didn't seem pleased about it. With that, he turned and walked away. I didn't think it would be that easy to deter him, so I kept my guard up as I followed. But he didn't bother me again. We got to the statue, where Reyna was just pulling a couple of snack bags filled with cheese and crackers from her satchel.

"I thought it would take him a while to find you," she smirked. She looked better now, but a flash of pain in her eyes told me she needed more rest before she was ready to battle another Cyclops. When she tossed two bags at me, I caught them and wordlessly rounded the statue to eat on the other side, eager to avoid a conflict with Nico in front of them.

I'd finished the snack, given Coach Hedge the bags, and returned to my spot on the other side of the statue when the son of Hades joined me again. He came around the opposite side and dropped to the ground beside me. Annoyed at the excited tumbling routine my stomach went through, I waited for him to say something, but he didn't. The silence was rather awkward, yet I couldn't think of anything to say, so I kept quiet. When I couldn't stand it anymore, I got up to go for a walk.

"May I join you?" he asked softly. I hesitated, but he sounded almost apologetic, and I saw no reason not to let him.

_Unless he kisses you again,_ my inner voice smirked. I rolled my eyes. Sometime my inner voice seemed to have a mind of its own.

"Sure," I told Nico, feigning disinterest, even though my heartbeat thudded a little louder in my ears. He stood and we strolled into the forest, slipping quietly through the trees.


	3. Chapter 3

Things were fine until the demons showed up.

We'd been walking long enough for the moon to rise and light the forest with her full face. I tilted my head back to bask in the moonlight, which wasn't the best idea, since I ran headlong into a tree. I stepped back, grimacing and rubbing my head.

"You alright?" Nico asked, reaching over and touching the sore spot. I blushed at his touch, but couldn't seem to make myself move away. He paused and stared at my face. Just stared. I wasn't sure I wanted to know what he was thinking. But then I didn't have to; he leaned over and planted a gentle, hesitant kiss on my mouth.

_And there you go,_ my inner voice laughed. _I told–_

_If you say 'I told you so,'_ _I'll hurt you,_ I warned myself, as awkward as it was. My inner voice laughed again, but said no more.

Nico pulled back slightly, but I still felt like his lips were on mine. I almost wanted to lean forward and kiss him again, but a nagging thought kept me back.

"I take it you still won't tell me why you let me?" he whispered, his voice dusky. I swallowed my retort in favor of something else that bothered me, that incessant idea pestering me non-stop.

"...I'm just a substitute, aren't I?" I asked him. He jerked back further, drawing his hand away and tucking both behind his back.

"What are you talking about?" he scowled. I looked away so that he wouldn't see the hurt; I must have guessed right.

"I'm just a substitute because I look like him," I rephrased. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his scowl deepen. At the same time, my internal monster compass pinged.

_Incoming,_ my inner voice said.

_No duh,_ I scoffed and whirled to face the oncoming monster, just as Nico started to say something.

"That– What are you doing?"

"SHH!" I hushed him. I could imagine him frowning, probably in anger, but I didn't turn to look. I drew my sword as quietly as I could, scanning the trees. It still took me by surprise.

The creature looked like someone had stuck bits of human and bits of lobster into a blender and then breathed life into it. The head was human, but with two giant red antennae sticking out of it, and tiny mandibles clicking where the mouth should have been. Instead of hands, it had massive lobster claws, and it had at least four legs, but they swished past each other so quickly I couldn't tell if there were four or eight. To finish it off, a huge, flat, segmented red tail, like those of a lobster or a shrimp, flicked back and forth behind it as it raced toward us.

"My God..." I whispered.

"What the hell is that?" Nico asked, his voice breaking. I glanced at him and saw that he was terrified.

"If you don't know," I said, fear sending a cold shiver up my spine, "then I don't want to." The creature scurried forward, stopping and hissing when it saw me.

"What are you doing here, Heka?" it snapped in an irritated, slithery voice. I caught a hint of fear, like that of a prey talking to a predator, about to plead for its life.

"I'm not Heckle, or whoever," I rejoined. "My name's Erasmus."

"I don't care what _your_ name is, puny human," the creature scoffed, not at all afraid of me. "I want to know why _HE_ is here."

"Nico?" What would a lobster-man want with a son of Hades?

"Not the boy, you _fool_!" the creature returned. "I care not what any of you are called. Let m-" I cut it off, pissed that it was calling me names.

"Well, you're about to," I threatened. "I want you to remember me, monster, because I'm going to be the one that send you back to the world of the dead!"

"HA!" the creature snorted, snapping its claws. "The Duat can't hold us demons for long!" I blinked. This _thing_ was a demon? I had imagined little red guys with goatees, horns, tails and pitchforks. It certainly had the red part down, but otherwise...

"What is the Duat?" Nico asked cautiously. I could still hear how scared he was, but he managed to mask it fairly well.

"Tsk! You are a son of Hades," the demon pointed out. "Different gods, different worlds. You could never understand."

"Then explain it to me," I demanded. "If you thought I was Beka, or whatever–"

"Heka!" the demon corrected, irritated.

"–Heka, then I must be a part of that... world." The demon considered that. It hissed in frustration after a moment.

"You are a bridge," it said. "You do not belong in either world. You are abnormal." Its eyes flashed menacingly, and I gripped my blade tightly.

"I'm a bridge?" I wondered aloud, ignoring the 'abnormal' part, even though it stung deep.

"You should not exist!" the demon roared, shooting forward. Surprised, I lifted my sword a moment too late; the demon's claw stabbed my side, and I strangle my shout of pain.

"Erasmus!" I winced at the fear in Nico's voice. I couldn't let him get hurt; gritting my teeth, I lunged at the demon as it backed away for another attack. It squeaked in surprise, but managed to block my blade with a raised claw. I whipped out my club and bashed against the demon's side. It made a keening sound that hurt my ears, but I clenched my jaw tighter and threw myself against the demon, shoving it to the ground with a _crunch_.

_You just broke its tail,_ my inner voice commented appreciatively as the demon screamed.

_Shut up unless you're going to help,_ I told myself, not realizing at that moment that I was having a conversation with the voice.

The demon, enraged, threw me over its head. I landed on my back, the air shoved from my lungs. I rolled over, gasping for breath, and tried to stand when the demon did. It glowered at me, as though deciding how it wanted to destroy me.

"Hey, lobster-man!" Nico called. The demon whirled, and I felt my stomach sink to my feet while my heart leapt to my throat. The creature scuttled toward him with terrifying speed.

_NO!_ I screamed in my mind. I still had no air in my lungs or I would have had a déjà vu moment of the evening empousa attack.

_Allow me,_ my inner voice said. Suddenly, the creature slowed down to a frozen position. Nico, reaching for his sword, also froze. _Hurry,_ my inner voice urged. _I've given you swiftness, but it won't last for more than a few moments._ Unquestioningly, I rose and dashed over. Already, the creature was beginning to move again, slowly, like it was trying to run through Jell-O, but gaining speed. I caught up just as it reached full speed, and I swung my sword, slicing at its ugly face. It roared in aggravation as it saw me appear in front of it, and then sank into a pile of sand as my blade cut through its head.

I stood there for a few seconds, panting, while Nico stared at me in awe.

"I really hope there are no more of those things," I managed. His gaze turned to the pile of sand that was already sinking into the ground.

"Different gods, different worlds," he repeated. "What did it mean by that?"

"Could it be like Greek and Roman different?" I asked. He shook his head, frowning now.

"No. Greek and Roman are two different eras, but their gods are essentially the same. The demon was meaning a different culture entirely. 'Heka' isn't any of the gods I know, so he or she isn't Greek or Roman."

"I still don't get this Heka thing..." I muttered.

"I'm not sure I do either," Nico admitted, shrugging. "But I do get one thing; we can't tell Reyna or Coach Hedge about this until we get some answers, understand?"

"Yes, sir," I said, giving him a sloppy salute. He rolled his eyes and turned to go back they way we'd come. When he stopped short, his eyes widening, I felt my throat clog; my internal monster compass was pinging like crazy in the direction he was facing.

_Oh, please no..._ I thought. But when I turned, I was facing half a dozen or so creatures that had the same blended-up look the lobster demon had. I groaned inwardly. How was I going to live through the night?

"I guess we've got a long night ahead of us," Nico murmured, drawing his sword. The demons hissed when they saw it, but didn't retreat. The black blade again seemed to draw all the light and warmth from the air around it.

"What is that, exactly?" I asked, distracting myself before death distracted me.

"Stygian iron," Nico replied. "Made specially from the Styx." I didn't want to know how. "Not as good as Celestial Bronze, or Imperial Gold, but it still sends them to the underworld." More terms to remember.

I drew my own, average steel, sword and hefted my club, suddenly feeling light-headed. Why was I so weak?

_You got stabbed in the side by the first demon, remember?_ my inner voice noted. Oh yeah. So I was terribly injured, and I had to fight half a dozen demons who could do at least as much damage as I already had. Wonderful.

The first two demons skipped diplomacy and lunged forward. Nico and I ducked, slashing off their arms, and then whirled, swapping places to stab the other's demon. They wailed as they disintegrated into sand and shadow. We faced the remaining four. They conferred a moment and then one stepped forward. This one looked like a chicken crossed with a human; it had a disfigured face that appeared to be rotting away, with all the muscles showing through the peeling skin, but with beady black eyes that longed to pierce my soul. The body was grossly bloated, and it had spindly chicken legs.

"Heka," the demon greeted. "I wish to speak with you." It glared at me. "Without the _mortal_ interfering."

_Don't listen to him,_ my inner voice snorted. I began to wonder if it was really my voice.

"THERE!" someone shouted above us. Before either Nico or I could react, two kids—a guy about my age, and a girl a year or two younger—dropped out of nowhere to face the demon horde.

"Found you, Face of Horror!" the guy yelled. In one hand, he held a curved sword that looked familiar, and in the other, he had a boomerang thing, which I knew instantly was not a boomerang, though I wasn't sure what it was.

"Carter Kane," the demon hissed. Its face twisted in hatred, and I could easily imagine how it came by the name 'Face of Horror.'

"You know," the girl said, shifting the bag on her shoulder, "I was kind of hoping you wouldn't come back for another decade or so..." She trailed off, her English accent diminishing slightly.

"But since you're here," Carter added, "it looks like I get the splendid privilege of killing you a second time."

"Yeah, neither of us is very happy with how you helped the Serpent... What was it, two years ago now?" The girl held out her hand and a staff materialized into it. I gawked, as I'm sure Nico did.

"Chaos would have risen," Face of Horror spat, "if you kids had not interfered! When he had another chance, you meddled yet again!"

"...Pretty much," Carter agreed. He lifted the sword and slashed at the demon. It scrambled back, toppling into its companions and taking all of them to the ground.

"_Ha-di!_" the girl cried, pointing her staff at the demons. Blue symbols popped into existence, glowing, in front of the demons, who trampled over each other to get away, but a moment later the symbols exploded. At least, it seemed that way; the nearest trees bent away, shuddering and groaning, and a small crater formed beneath the demons, dropping them into it. One of the demons dissipated into sand with a screech, powdering its comrades as they tried to untangle themselves.

"Sadie," Carter complained. "I was going to hit him."

"You were taking too long!" Sadie retorted. She noticed us as Carter leapt into the crater, and she turned while the demons scattered in terror. I hardly noticed the demons; the kids had been familiar, and now I knew why: they were the boy and girl from my dream the night before. Sadie had shining spun-gold hair with a red streak on one side and soft blue-green eyes that inspected me sharply. But despite knowing vaguely who they were, I was still much too shocked to say anything; thankfully, Nico took over.

"Who are you?" he asked. Sadie raised an eyebrow.

"Just a magician," she said, obviously expecting us not to believe or understand her. I blinked.

_She is the great Sadie Kane,_ my inner voice explained. _Former host of Isis, daughter of Julius Kane, host of Osiris, and sister of Carter Kane, former host of Horus._

_So many hosts..._ I thought.

"Isis..." I said aloud. Sadie's gaze snapped to me, fierce.

"Who are you?" she demanded. "If you know me, you must be a magician; what Nome are you from?"

"I don't... I mean, I'm not..." I stopped and began again. "I'm Erasmus Porter, son of Hecate, and this is Nico di Angelo, son of Hades."

"Hecate? Hades?" She was confused. "I know about _Heka_, but not _Hecate_." There was that name again... Who was Heka?

"Hecate is a Greek goddess," Carter said, scrambling up out of the crater. The demons were gone, probably dead. He shook sand from his clothes. "Just like Hades, Zeus, and Poseidon." There was sand in his short black hair, and on his dark, chocolate skin, but I didn't bother telling him. He looked up at me and his warm brown eyes widened. "PERCY!"

"Hey, keep up, brother," Sadie said, slapping him upside the head. Even though they didn't look at all alike, I could tell they were siblings. "This guy's name is Erasmus, not Percy."

"D-did you mean Percy Jackson?" Nico asked, a bit of color draining from his features. Carter shrugged, absentmindedly rubbing his head where Sadie hit him.

"Yeah, I guess," he said. "Son of Poseidon, looks like him." He gestured at me, trailing off. "I guess he couldn't be Percy, or he would have called me as soon as the demons appeared..."

"Oh that's right!" Sadie exclaimed. "Percy was the guy you gave the call spell!"

"If he ever needed my help, he just had to say my name," Carter nodded. "So if you're not Percy, who are you, exactly?" I thought for a moment about how to answer him. Everyone waited, wanting to hear my reply.

"I'm... different," I said slowly. "I'm a Christian, yet I have a Greek godly parent. I also, apparently, have some affiliation with..." Remembering Carter's sword, I searched through my memories to recall what culture he and the demons were from. "With Egyptian gods."

"Wow," Carter whistled. "You _are_ different."

"No need to make him feel worse!" Nico snapped, seeming agitated. I glanced at him, surprised that he was defending me.

"He's almost as bad as Anubis and Walt," Sadie whispered to her brother. I figured she meant Nico, because she was staring at him.

"At least he isn't a jackal-headed god," Carter retorted.

"No, but he's not following the path of Ra, either," Sadie came back. Carter rolled his eyes. I held back a laugh at their display of sibling love.

"Whose path do you follow?" Carter asked me. I shrugged.

"No clue." The siblings exchanged glances and I watched an entire conversation flicker between them in a matter of moments. I knew what they said, but I didn't register it.

"If you don't know whose path you follow..." Sadie began.

"...then how do you know you have... affiliation with Egyptian gods?" Carter finished.

Nico snorted. "Well, two demons—creatures I've never seen before—attacked us because they thought he was this Heka person."

"Him? Heka?" Sadie said, trying not to giggle. "Sorry, but I've met Heka, and he looks way younger!"

"Hey, Sadie," Carter said, turning to look at her. "Try to remember, these are gods we're talking about. Your boyfriend is five thousand years old, for crying out loud!" Sadie started to protest, but Carter had already turned back to face me. "When part of Horus stayed in my body, lots of gods and demons thought I _was_ Horus. Did the demons speak like they were talking to someone else?"

"Yeah," I said, nodding. "They kept calling me Heka, and asking what I was doing here, like I didn't belong in this area."

"Well, if you follow Heka," Sadie pointed out, "then you _aren't_ supposed to be here; you should be in Brooklyn, or at least heading for it. Being on the Manhattan side of the river, unless you're heading for a different Nome..." She shrugged, not entirely pleased. I exchanged confused glances with Nico.

"What's so different about Brooklyn from Manhattan?" he asked, frowning. Sadie pursed her lips, like she was trying to decide just how much to say.

"Different gods, different worlds," she answered finally. Nico gave her a bland look.

"Yeah, the lobster-guy said that too, but what does it _mean_?"

"It means that they shouldn't be mingling," I said softly, a sinking feeling in my gut. Carter nodded his agreement.

"Greek gods and Egyptian gods don't get along any more than fire gets along with water," he said. "That's why Nico's never heard of us; our cultures have been kept separate because the moment they collide..." He made an explosion sound, miming it with his hands. Then he looked at me, apologetic guilt in his grimace. "Sorry." I shrugged, downcast.

"It's... it's fine," I said. "I guess I'm meant to be torn in three directions at once... The demon called me a bridge, but like you said, fire and water don't mix... I'm just a freak of nature..."

Nico has got to figure out a new way to get my attention without scaring me to death; he slapped me again. Carter and Sadie both gasped, and the former took a step forward, raising his sword. Nico ignored them both, making Carter hesitate.

"I thought I told you not to say that!" he hissed. I blushed slightly, touching my reddening cheek, and nodded, keeping my eyes on the ground as he continued. "I said it once, and I'll say it again; YOU ARE NOT A FREAK. If anyone here is, it's me, _not_ you." I nodded again, but didn't say anything.

"You just... He..." Sadie's mouth was opening and closing like a fish, with only a few occasional words actually forming.

"Why did he just...?" Carter managed to ask an almost full question, unlike his sister.

"It happens a lot," I said, feeling a bit lightheaded. I glanced at Nico, wondering if it was because of his slap, but he wasn't looking at me; his back was turned and his arms crossed, fuming.

_It's not his fault,_ my inner voice said. _It's that wound. How do you keep forgetting it?_ I snarled at my inner self.

_Just shut up..._ I said. The voice seemed intent on annoying me, however.

_You need to fix up that wound, or you'll topple soon,_ it said. As if to prove its point, I staggered, my head suddenly feeling the size and weight of a helium balloon.

"Whoa, there!" Carter said, dropping his sword and dashing forward to catch me. I'm glad he did, or I would have fallen on my face. Nico turned, and his eyes widened when they scanned my body. I glanced down to see a huge, gaping red hole in my side. But I didn't think about the pain; in fact, I didn't even register it, nor did I realize it was a wound, for a moment. No, I saw it and the first thing I thought was, _Why am I covered in ketchup?_

Nico instantly began digging in his pocket, bringing out the flask of nectar. His hands trembled as he uncapped it while Sadie and Carter helped me lie down. He poured a few drops onto my wound, and I hissed as it stung deep. My back arched, and I grabbed Carter's wrist in a death grip, making him wince. Nico knelt and put the flask to my lips, but I turned away. I couldn't let him waste more of the healing fluid on me than absolutely necessary.

"It's not working quickly enough," he muttered in aggravation.

"Sadie, did you put that healing potion from Jaz in the Duat?" Carter asked, trying to pry my fingers from his wrist.

"The one she gave us this morning, yeah," she answered, standing and focusing on the air in front of her. She reached forward but nothing happened. She reached again, but still nothing happened.

"Oh for goodness sake!" she muttered. She tacked on another word that sounded foreign, likely Egyptian, likely a curse. She focused again, and when she reached forward a third time, her hand disappeared in a shimmer, shocking me. I forgot for a moment about the stinging, watching her draw out a small bottle from the shimmering air. She knelt again and uncorked the bottle. Nico was staring at her, trying to decide what, exactly, she'd just done.

She leaned over to pour the potion into my mouth, but at that moment, the pain returned and I growled with enough intensity to make her stop. I gritted my teeth against the needles pricking the flesh of my side. The pain subsided momentarily and she silently offered the potion again. I opened my mouth in response and she quickly poured the gulps-worth down my throat.

I regretted it almost instantly.

A cry of agony worked its way up my throat as heat blazed in my side. It felt like the nectar, but ten times more intense, and at least that much sharper.

Thank goodness Carter had gotten his hand free; I would have crushed it. As it was, my fingers dug deep gouges in the ground that made Carter's eyes widen.

"Hold on, Erasmus," Nico said. He took my nearer hand and gripped it. "It's healing. Just hold on." I felt like I was breaking his fingers, holding on as tight as I was.

"I... swear..." I spat between my teeth, "I... will hunt down... every demon... and kill it... with my bare hands..."

"I think that's the first violent thing I've heard you say," Nico chuckled. Then he winced as I squeezed, a new wave of pain washing over my torso.

But then it was gone. All the pain, all the heat, everything, just... gone. I relaxed, hesitantly, thinking that any moment the pain would return. Wary, I kept my grip on Nico's hand as I slowly pushed myself upright, testing.

"It's completely healed..." Sadie said, astonished. "I... I didn't think anything could heal a wound like that completely!"

"Maybe because he's part of both cultures, the mix of the healing potion and the nectar worked more quickly?" The note of perplexed amazement in Carter's suggestion brought a smile to my face. It immediately vanished when I looked down; I inspected the giant hole in my shirt, frowning. It was my only shirt, and now it was torn beyond use. What would I use now? I couldn't very well go shirtless!

"Um, Erasmus...?" Nico said. I looked up to see him blushing, but his hair hung in his face, so I knew the Kane siblings wouldn't see it. "Could I have my hand back?" I looked down to see that I was gripping his hand rather tightly, and I let go quickly. He sat back and took it in his free hand, rubbing it to restart circulation.

Sadie stood and focused, reaching forward with the empty bottle. Nothing happened and she scowled. She tried again, frustration mounting, and Carter stood to take it from her.

"I got it," he said gently. She still glared at him, though I could tell her anger was more directed at herself than her brother.

"I worked so hard to get it out of the Duat, and I can't even put it back in," she grumbled, dropping into a crouch and crossing her arms. I could tell she wanted to be recognized for an obvious achievement, so I reached over and took her hand.

"Thank you for helping," I said, smiling. "It means a lot to me." She met my gaze, staring for a moment; I don't think she actually expected praise. Then she blushed, looking away.

"Oh, um, y-you're welcome," she stammered. Carter rolled his eyes.

"...falls for any guy that gives her attention..." he muttered. Sadie recovered and stood to punch his arm, hard. Carter winced, but had a resigned look, like this happened a lot.

"I do not!" She crossed her arms again as he rubbed his shoulder.

"If it helps," Nico said, rolling back into a crouch, "he has that effect on everyone." I glanced askew at him, but he was careful with his expression, so I gleaned nothing from his face. His eyes, however, flicked my way before shunting to the side in embarrassment.

"See?" Sadie said, jumping on the straw, "It's not just me!"

"Sure, whatever Sadie," Carter said, rolling his eyes. He held out his hand to me, giving me a crooked smile. "I'm willing to bet you have questions, Erasmus. Would you like to come with Sadie and me to the Brooklyn House? Amos could probably answer most of them better than we could. And we could train you a bit for the next time you run into some demons." I took his hand and let him help me up, and then I turned and helped Nico up, though he needed no assistance; it gave me a moment to think.

I could get answers to all these questions leaping about in my head. But I'd be leaving Nico. I could learn why I was a part of three entirely different cultures. But I would be absconding the only place that felt like home anymore. The orphanage never had.

_I would say go with the Kanes,_ my inner voice said. _But the decision is yours._ I realized something in that moment; it was never MY inner voice... It was someone else.

_...Heka?_ I asked carefully.

_Yes, Erasmus,_ my inner voice—Heka's voice said. _I didn't want to overburden you too soon; otherwise I would have explained myself much earlier._ I sat down hard.

"Erasmus?" I wasn't sure who said it, but all three of my companions were standing over me, looking at me with worry.

"I... It's so much to process," I said, running my hands through my hair. Nico leaned over and touched my shoulder lightly.

"If you need a moment..." He left the statement unfinished, obviously not pleased with the idea.

"I just..." I looked up at the Kanes. "Could we have a minute, please?" Sadie hesitated, but Carter nodded, grabbed his sister's arm, and left, dragging her along and ignoring her protests. As soon as they were out of ear-shot, Nico crouched and whispered.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly.

"I'm so lost..." I answered, rubbing at my face. "First, I'm just an average kid. A Christian orphan. Then a monster puts me on the run, and I find out I'm part of a world of demigods that I didn't know existed, and I'm the son of a Greek goddess. Now, I'm also the host of an Egyptian god. I'm a walking time bomb, and I don't understand any of it. How did I even qualify to host a god?"

_You have the blood of pharaohs,_ Heka answered.

"I didn't ask you," I snorted. I hadn't realized I spoke aloud until Nico frowned. "Sorry, the voice in my head..." I sighed. "And now I guess I'm going insane..."

"...I don't think you're insane," Nico said eventually. "I think you've been thrown into something that should have been explained to you long ago. But then, the gods have never been very fair." His lips curled like he tasted something sour. "I would know."

"Well, I'm here, nothing's been explained, and I have a lot to learn..."

_In a short time,_ Heka added.

_Not helping!_ I snapped. This time I made sure I didn't talk aloud.

"...As much as I hate saying it," Nico said after a moment, "you should go with the Kanes. They can help you more than Coach, Reyna and I can. Only Chiron, at Camp Half Blood, could help you as much as they can, but until we have this spat with Camp Jupiter settled, he'll be indisposed keeping peace." I nodded. Though I didn't know this Chiron person—a familiar name, but I couldn't place it—I understood that they would be busy getting the statue to Camp Half Blood and making peace between the two camps. I would be better off at the 'Brooklyn House,' whatever that was, until I learned more about... everything, really.

Then I registered what he'd said first. _As much as I hate to say it..._ He didn't want me to go. Did that mean...?

_No,_ I told myself, making sure not to be talking to Heka. _Those feelings are wrong, and you shouldn't have them._ This time, when I responded, I knew it was MY response.

_Even if they're wrong, you still have them,_ I answered myself. For a moment, I argued back and forth with myself, until Heka broke in.

_Are you just going to sit here and let this moment pass you by,_ he interrupted, _or are you actually going to_ do _something?_ Knowing he had a point, I made a split second decision. Reaching out, I grabbed Nico by the neck and pulled him down.

I don't know who was more surprised by my action: me, Nico, or Carter, who walked up at that moment. He stopped short when he saw my lips meet Nico's, and the son of Hades shoved away from me, standing and blushing redder than I'd ever seen anyone blush. He stepped back, covering his mouth with one hand, and groaned when he saw Carter staring.

"Um... you, er..." the Kane boy stuttered. "Did you just...?"

"It's not important," I said, feeling my cheeks heat. "Did you need something?"

"Uh, I just... I came to ask if you were coming with us..." he managed, gesturing behind him. I glanced at Nico, then nodded to Carter.

"I'll be there in a moment," I said, standing. Carter nodded to show he'd heard and disappeared the direction he came. I turned to Nico, who didn't look up, and said, "I will come back, you know."

"...I know," he said, so softly I could barely hear him. Wow; he didn't snap at me. That was a surprise. I stepped up to him and wrapped my arms around his shoulders.

"I will, I promise," I said. "Just promise me..."

"...what? What do you want me to promise?" he asked. His voice was carefully clear of emotion, and he didn't respond to my hug. I let go and stepped back, discouraged. There were so many things I wanted to say; _Promise me you won't forget me._ _Promise me you'll look for my return._ _Promise me you'll return my feelings for you._ But I couldn't say any of them. Whether or not I wanted to.

"Promise me you'll take care of Coach Hedge and Reyna," I said. He nodded slowly, as though it was something he already understood.

"I promise I will take care of Coach Hedge and Reyna," he said. "As well as I can, anyway. I swear it on the River Styx."

"The River Styx?" I wondered aloud, trying to remember why the name was so familiar, beyond him mentioning it earlier.

"A river in the underworld," he said, a hint of a smile on his lips. "To break an oath sworn on the Styx is to die a horrible death." That's why; it was the most well known river in the underworld.

"Ah, that's right," I said, imagining a gory death, possibly by harpies. Eyck. "Ok, I should go." I turned to go where Carter had gone, but Nico's hand on my arm stopped me. I glanced back, and he kissed me.

"Since you're only part Greek," he said when we broke, "I didn't expect an oath, but I did want some proof of your promise." He grinned a bit at my expression. "Come on, I'll walk with you." He took my hand and tugged me in the direction the Kanes had vanished. He didn't let go until we came in sight of the siblings, and then we both stared in awe.

Standing next to the siblings, pawing the ground and pulling on its halter, was a massive gryphon. It had a typical falcon-headed lion form, but instead of eagle wings, it had two enormous hummingbird-like wings that beat so quickly, they looked like helicopter blades. Behind it was a fair-sized boat, attached by ropes. The gryphon shook its head and shrieked. I covered my ears, duly impressed.

"Erasmus," Carter said. "Say hi to Freak."

"Freak?" I could barely keep myself from laughing.

"Yeah, he says 'freak' a lot, so that's what I started calling him..." Carter shrugged. "Let's go." He hopped into the boat and helped his sister climb in. Then he held out his hand for mine. I turned to Nico and held out my hand.

"I'm glad I met you, Nico," I said as he took my hand.

"Same here, Erasmus." We shook hands and then I allowed Carter to pull me into the boat. He went to the front and took up the reins, urging Freak to take off. The gryphon screeched in joy and launched into the air. I stood at the edge, gripping the railing, as I watched Nico shrink into the distance. I saw him wave and returned it, wondering if I would ever see him again.


	4. Chapter 4

Training in a house full of kids, most of whom were younger than me, wasn't very easy. The penguins didn't make it any better.

I woke up in a very soft bed, with a very uncomfortable pillow. And of course, when I sat up to look at it, I saw it wasn't even a pillow. It was a headrest similar to those found on airlines, or in long-distance coaches. I picked it up and turned it over in my hands. Egyptian hieroglyphs were marked all over it.

"It keeps your _ba_ from wandering," a female voice said. I jumped. "Not that it helps much." I spun to see a pretty blonde-haired girl walk into the room with a small bowl in her hands. She smiled and held out the bowl. I stared at it, and then looked up at her skeptically.

"Oh, just drink it," she said. "It'll help you."

"For what?" I asked, taking the bowl. I sniffed it, but couldn't detect any scents.

"Carter and Sadie are going to be working with you personally to find out what kind of magician you are, and whose path you follow." She flipped a gold braid over her shoulder and smiled, her blue eyes twinkling with some unplanned mischief.

"Oh boy," I grimaced. "I guess I'm a special case." She laughed.

"I don't think you're a special case," she said. "At least, not the way you're probably thinking. I'm Jasmine, by the way. Call me Jaz." I had just put the bowl to my lips, but now I put it down.

"You're Jaz? So you're the healer, I guess." She nodded. "Your potion really helped me last night." I started to set the bowl down, but Jaz lifted a finger.

"Ah, ah, ah! You're going to wish you had drunk it later," she warned. She hadn't reacted to the praise, as if she were used to it by now.

"Why?" I asked. She smiled again.

"This is a special brewed potion that I created myself," she explained, sitting on the edge of the bed next to me. "It balances magical energy in the body, and allows one to think more freely so as to be able to connect with the god or goddess one follows."

"...Makes sense, I guess," I said slowly. After everything I'd been through in the last month, I doubted it would take anything less than the impossible to weird me out.

Grimacing at the bowl, I lifted it and knocked it back, startled at the surprisingly sweet taste. Jaz smiled yet again and took the bowl, leaving me.

It was then I realized then that someone had changed my clothes; instead of my torn shirt and jeans, I wore a pair of soft cotton sweats and a t-shirt of some soft, pajama-like material. I didn't want to know how I'd gotten in them, but I wondered what had happened to the rest of my stuff. I got up and looked around the enormous room, spotting the closet door on one side. I opened it and found multiple sets of the same clothes I wore, plus some sets of more modern, teenage clothes like hoodies, along with a few nicer sets of clothes (possibly for special occasions, since I didn't think they went to church), and some interesting sandals. Since I didn't see any other shoes, I assumed there was a dress code for working magic.

But where was all _my_ stuff? I glanced back around the room, and did a double take when a baboon walked through the door. It had bright, golden yellow fur, a rainbow-colored nose, and a purple Lakers shirt. It carried a bag about one foot by two feet in size in one hand, and had a larger bag over its shoulder.

"_Agh_!" it said, in a way that sounded suspiciously like a burp. Somehow, I instantly knew what it... what he was saying. _Good morning, magician! Welcome to the Brooklyn Mansion, headquarters of the Twenty-First Nome. Here is a bag containing your things, and another bag of your magician's tools. Breakfast is waiting downstairs!_ He dropped the bags by the foot of the bed and left, closing the door behind his rainbow rear.

You know how I said it take no less than the impossible to weird me out? Well, a baboon butler that loves basketball met the criteria. I blinked at the door several times before realizing that the others were possibly waiting on me. I went over to the bags and opened the larger one. In it was my sword, my club, my backpack with almost nothing left in it, and, to my surprise, the remains of my clothes. For whatever reason, the Kanes had decided not to throw them away, and I was thankful for that. There were memories attached to those clothes. I strapped my sword's makeshift sheath-belt around my waist, not caring how odd it looked, and attached my club to the other side.

I opened the smaller bag to find a boomerang, a stick, some twine, and a ball of wax. Though I didn't know what anything was for, or how wax was suppose to help me in battle, I was glad the Kanes had given me supplies. I zipped up the bag and tossed it over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes as I left the room. I closed the door behind me, turned, and stopped to stare in awe.

My room opened onto a balcony, three floors up from ground level, and the balcony overlooked a huge room filled with kids my age and younger. Some of them were talking, laughing, hanging out, others were coloring, watching TV with the baboon, playing with jump ropes, or just running around. It was like the orphanage, but noisier, and much homier.

"Hey, Erasmus!" I started at hearing my name, and turned to face Carter, my hand automatically going for my sword. "Whoa, there; calm down. Sorry if I startled you." He smiled. "Welcome to the Twenty-First Nome!"

"Thanks," I said, releasing my sword.

"Come on down and you can join us for breakfast," Carter said. "I was about to call everyone together." So saying, he leaned over the railing and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Alright! Time for breakfast; everyone out on the terrace!" Immediately there was an increase in activity as twenty or more people hurried out the two massive glass doors onto a large balcony with tables on one side and a pool on the other.

I followed Carter down and out onto the veranda behind the crowd. He made sure I got a seat near the end of one of the tables and sat a few seats down from me. Sadie appeared and sat opposite him, leaving the seat at the head of the table open. When most everyone was seated (Jaz next to me, a girl between her and Carter, and three guys across from me, plus a ten-year-old kid on my other side), a man joined us. He was the only adult I'd seen, but from the way Carter and Sadie handled things, I guessed he was more supervision than actual leader.

The man wore a soft green suit, which matched really well with his dark skin, and contrasted perfectly with the leopard skin around his shoulders. He had round glasses that were tinted green, and small emerald beads were braided into his long black hair. He sat in the chair at the head of the table and looked at me. A warm smile touched his lips and he stood again.

"Alright, alright," he said, holding up his hands. "Calm down, everyone. Now listen up, we've got a new magician joining us for a while. Carter, would you introduce your friend?" Carter nodded and stood as the man sat.

"Sure, Amos," he said. He turned and gestured at me. "This is Erasmus Porter. He's a bit different from most of us; he's part of two very different cultures. Here, as part of the Egyptian culture, we have reason to believe he follows the path of Heka."

"A soul magician?" the girl next to him murmured. Whispers rounded the table as they considered it.

"What is that?" I asked. The girl glanced at Sadie, and I watched a conversation pass between them. Before the girl could reply, though, and before I could register what they said, Amos cut in.

"We can talk about details later," he said. "For now, quick introductions and then on to breakfast. I am Amos Kane, former head of the Twenty-First Nome, and recently the Chief Lector of the Per Ankh, the House of Life."

"I'm Sadie Kane," she winked. "We met."

"And I'm Carter Kane," he grinned, "recently head of the Twenty-First Nome."

"Zia Rashid," the girl between Jaz and Carter said, giving me a half smile that was more dutiful than pleasant.

"Walt," the guy next to Sadie said. "And, occasionally, Anubis. I'm his host."

"Jaz," she said. "We've also met." I nodded slightly.

"Ranger," the guy directly across from me said. "After you, I'm the newest addition."

"I'm Felix!" the kid next to me said. "And I love penguins!"

"Cleo," another girl said.

"Julian."

"Alyssa."

I eventually lost track of the names.

When we'd gone all the way around, the baboon strode out of the house to join us.

"And that's Khufu," Amos said, smiling. The baboon heard his name and turned.

"_Agh_!" he grunted, hopping into an open seat at the end of a table. I translated it before I realized I had. _Named after the great pharaoh Khufu. And the crocodiles in the pool are Philip of Macedonia and Ganymede._ I whirled, since the pool was at my back, and grabbed my sword when I saw a white crocodile peering up at me, with a tiny green crocodile next to it.

"Whoa! Erasmus, calm down!" Carter and Walt were both there in an instant, each one grabbing an arm. They glanced between me and the crocs.

"They're friendly," Walt assured. "Kind of like... watch dogs."

"Yeah, if watch dogs were twenty feet long with razor sharp teeth!" Ranger quipped. His joking did more to relax me than Carter or Walt had, and I let go of my sword.

"Sorry," I said, easing myself back into my chair. Amos shrugged, buttering a piece of bread as though he saw magicians freaking out every day. He probably did.

"It's fine," he said, setting aside the knife and smiling reassuringly at me. Chatter began around the table as the kids dug in. "Frankly, it's not surprising that you're a bit high-strung; it takes a while to get used to this life."

§§§

Later on, Carter and Sadie stood side-by-side on one end of a basketball court on the second floor, and Zia and Walt stood on the other end, with me playing monkey in the middle. Carter, obviously in charge of this round, began.

"Right, so we're going to start with a basic battle session to figure out your natural attack and/or defense methods." He pulled a clay statue out of a bag by his feet and set it in front of me. "Ready?" I drew my sword, but Walt shook his head.

"Put that away," he said.

"Can't I use my sword?" I asked, confused.

"Not everything can be handled with physical prowess," Zia answered tartly. "You need to learn spells and magic techniques." I thought for a moment.

"Then may I use my tool bag?"

"Absolutely," Sadie answered, smiling like a teacher whose student finally gets something. I undid my sword belt and put it on the sidelines, swapping it for the magician's tool bag Khufu brought me that morning. Slinging it over my shoulder, I considered what I might do in any given circumstance. I put my hand in the bag and touched the lump of wax. I still had no clue what it was for, but then, this battle was just to figure out what I was good at. My fingers brushed the boomerang as I returned to my spot. I pulled it out and transferred it to my left hand. Then I pulled out the stick. As soon as it was free of the bag, it expanded into a staff. Somehow, I wasn't surprised. I lowered my bag to the ground and tested the boomerang and staff in each hand; being ambidextrous had its uses. When I finally settled on the staff in my left hand and the boomerang in my right, Carter again asked if I was ready.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I muttered to myself, turning so that my left side was to the statue and spreading my feet for balance. If I'd learned anything from a month of fighting and running from monsters, it was that a good solid base was essential to survival. I bent my knees slightly, feeling every muscle in my body as it flexed, sensing each heartbeat, relaxing my breathing.

With a quick prayer for safety, I nodded to Carter. He spoke a command in Egyptian and the statue began to move. It grew until it was just taller than my own five foot ten, and expanded to about half again my breadth. I gulped.

_Would you like some advice?_ Heka asked. The statue stepped forward, wielding a giant sword like Carter's, and I stepped back.

_Sure, got anything on how to disarm it?_ The statue swung its sword at me and I bent almost double, backward, to avoid getting slashed.

_Disarm?_ Heka snorted. _Ras, if it were a real enemy, you'd need to kill it, not disarm it._

_...Then be quiet,_ I snapped, ducking to avoid another slash. _And don't call me Ras._

My clay opponent seemed to get stronger and quicker as time passed, and I knew I couldn't keep avoiding it. I gripped the staff, trying to come up with something, anything that would allow me to disable the statue without destroying it.

"Don't step outside the boundaries," Walt called. I glanced behind me to see the out-of-bounds line of the basketball court. I sidestepped to avoid stepping across it, and the statue lunged. Acting on instinct, I held up my boomerang and shouted the first words that came to mind, a phrase that meant 'bind and control': _Tas Hirup_.

The statue's sword came down and clashed with my boomerang. With a spark, the stature stopped moving, still pressing me back. I leaned dangerously over the boundary line.

_Well,_ Heka said impatiently. _Don't just sit there; tell it to move away from you._ I hesitated, but only for a moment, aware that four spectators my age were watching intently.

"Step back," I said. The statue did so. Not quite believing what I saw, I edged away from the boundary line, keeping a wide berth around the statue. I heard a squeak of equal disbelief from Sadie's direction, but I kept my eyes on my opponent.

_Now what?_ Heka asked curiously. Now what indeed. If I had complete control over the statue, then...

"Drop the sword and put your hands on your head," I tried. The statue let go of its weapon and raised its hands to place them on its head. I stared. Walt whistled, clearly impressed.

"I guess I was right," Zia said, stepping forward. "Carter?" He blinked, snapping out of his shock, and said a command word. When nothing happened, he frowned and tried again. Still nothing.

"It's not working," he said, confused.

"Erasmus, release the _shabti_," Zia ordered. I spread my hands innocently and she sighed in annoyance. "Point your wand at it, and say, 'I release you.'" I held up the boomerang, guessing that it was the wand, and pointed it at the statue, which still stood where I'd left it.

"I release you." The _shabti_ immediately reached down and picked up its sword, turning to face me. My eyes widened as it lifted the blade and... shrunk when Carter spoke a command word.

_You thought you were dead, didn't you?_ Heka laughed.

_I did not!_ I spluttered. It's kind of hard to lie convincingly when the one you're lying to is living in your head.

"So... Um, I must be missing something," Sadie said, joining Zia and I in the middle. Walt and Carter came over, too. "What exactly did he just do?"

"It's soul magic," Zia explained. "Heka is literally the embodiment of magic, unlike Isis, who is just a goddess _of_ magic. He specializes in magic involving the _ka_, or life force, of the soul, which is how he got his name."

"So Erasmus can control someone's life force?" Sadie asked, half scared, half impressed.

"Well, the spell he used, 'bind and control,' is definitely _ka_ magic," Zia said hesitantly. "But... _ka_ magic has been lost for thousands of years."

"Then how do you know about it?" I asked curiously. She made a funny face.

"It was part of our training at the First Nome," she said. "Every initiate _learns_ about all magic, but they only _train_ with the magic they are natural at."

"Like combat magic for me," Carter offered. Zia nodded.

"And elemental magic for me."

"How does soul magic work?" I asked. She crinkled her nose, like she'd gotten a whiff of something unpleasant.

"That's the problem; I don't know. There are certain types of magic that have never been used before, certain paths," she glanced at Walt, "that haven't been followed in the past... Because of that, no one really knows the details."

"Would Heka himself be able to help?" I asked cautiously.

"Of course," she said instantly. "That would be the best way to learn, but all the gods are gone; they've retreated from the earth to maintain Ma'at." I focused on the word I didn't know before registering the rest of her comment.

"Ma'at?"

"Balance and Order," Carter answered. "The opposite of Isfet, Chaos." I nodded, finally thinking over the rest of what Zia said.

"If the gods have retreated to keep order," I said slowly. "What would happen if one of them returned? If they found a host?"

"The entirety of Ma'at could be disrupted," Zia answered. I got a sinking feeling in my gut.

"Erasmus," Sadie said suspiciously. "Is there something you'd like to tell us?"

"...Heka's here," I said softly. All four of them stared at me.

_You didn't have to tell them!_ Heka protested. I rubbed at the bridge of my nose with my right hand.

"Shut up, please," I muttered.

"Hold on a moment," Walt said. "Are you saying Heka is... You're hosting Heka, right now?" I nodded.

"We're dead," Sadie said, throwing up her hands.

"I said hold on," Walt said firmly. He turned back to me and gently took staff and wand, setting them on the ground by my bag. He put his hands on my shoulders and stared intently into my eyes, searching for something. I didn't know what to do, so I just stared back. Finally, he blinked and let his hands fall, frowning.

"Well?" Sadie prompted.

"Heka's there, all right," he answered, "but that's not what I was looking at. He's... Different. Not just that he has ties with the same culture as this" he waved vaguely at Carter "Percy guy. He's much more different; I don't... I can't really explain it." He shook his head. "Anubis has no idea either."

"Hold on," I said, confused. "If the gods can't be here without disrupting... Ma'at, then why is...?"

"I'm not technically alive," Walt answered immediately. "I host Anubis to sustain my life force. If he weren't here, I wouldn't be either. And besides, Anubis and I are one, like the pharaohs of old. As a flesh-and-blood human, he can walk the earth without any issues."

"So why is it any different for Heka to be inside me?" I asked, even more confused.

"Because you aren't one and the same," Zia said, rolling her eyes like it was as obvious as day. "You're just a host; part of Heka is in you, part of him is somewhere else. Walt and Anubis, on the other hand, are two spirits occupying the same body."

_Tilt your head to the left,_ Heka instructed. Out of pure curiosity, I obeyed, eyeing the tall, black-skinned boy. His body flickered and faded, and I saw two strands of light flowing through it, like those medical models of the veins and arteries in a person's body. One was gray, the other silver.

_What is that?_ I asked Heka.

_The gray strand is the life force of Anubis,_ he answered. _The silver is Walt's. Notice how the gray is brighter, and assists the silver._ As he said it, I could see it. The two strands of light seemed to be dancing, the silver constantly flickering weakly, while the gray helped it. I rubbed at my eyes and straightened.

"What was that about?" Sadie asked, frowning at me. I blinked.

"What was what about?"

"Your eyes turned a sort of... green," Carter explained. "Not just your irises, but all of it; your whole eye just... glowed." I glanced at Walt to find him staring at me thoughtfully.

"...I saw their life forces, their _ka_," I said slowly, returning his stare, though the feral canine-ness of it unnerved me. "Two strands of light entwined in a dance of life. Gray and silver, flowing and pulsing like... Like rivers pulled by the moon."

"He's so poetic," Sadie murmured to Zia.

"You can see _ka_," Zia said softly, ignoring Sadie and rubbing her chin. "Interesting."

"Not only is he different, but he's stronger than he appears," Walt noted to Carter. "He met Anubis' gaze without flinching." Sadie snorted.

"I could do that," she said.

"Yeah, well, you're on an entirely different level than anyone else, aren't you, Sadie Kane?" Walt reached over and took her hand, smiling. She blushed slightly, grinning.

Suddenly, Walt stiffened and his form shimmered, changing slightly. His hair grew a little longer and darker, and his skin lightened a bit. His hoodie and jeans were replaced by an Egyptian kilt and gold neck band. His eyes changed the most, going from a warm brown like Carter's to a deep whirlpool of black.

"Anubis," Sadie said, chidingly. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm hurt," he said good-naturedly, putting one hand to his chest. "I visit and you're as annoying as ever, Sadie." She rolled her eyes and twined her fingers with his.

"What _are_ you doing here?" Carter asked.

"I came to see the one everybody's been buzzing about," Anubis answered. He turned to me and I felt his canine gaze taking in every inch of me. I steeled myself, forcing my body not to move as he inspected me.

_Good,_ Heka commended. _If you show no fear in front of the dogs, they will not tear you to pieces._

"Who said anything about tearing anyone to pieces, Heka?" Anubis said, a hint of a grin on his lips.

_Nice to see you, old friend,_ Heka laughed. I wondered if maybe Heka had used my voice and I hadn't realized it, because I didn't think anyone could hear him but me. But Carter, Sadie, and Zia looked slightly confused, unable to hear the voice in my head.

"You're as foolish as always," Anubis replied, shaking his head. "But then, I guess you're starting to learn, since you chose someone so... interesting to host you."

_Of course!_ Heka said gleefully. I imagined him as a kid of four or five who could see and control _ka_, and shuddered.

"Well then, Erasmus, is it?" Anubis began. "You've surprised me. Only one other person I've met has been able to do that." He cast a sidelong glance at Sadie, making it clear who he meant. "You have a very important role to play, in both worlds. I don't know what, but Heka has been hiding away for centuries, and now that he's come out, I can only assume he knows something I don't. You're very special, and you have more talent than you realize, not only with Egyptian magic, but Greek as well. I wish you the best of luck, as I'm sure you'll need it.

"Oh, and a warning about Heka: he's... abnormal. Be careful of him, and his secrets." Anubis solemnly reached out his hand to me. "So saying, pleasure to meet you." I hesitantly took his hand and shook it. He shimmered and Walt returned.

"Oh, I hate it when he does that," he sighed.

_What did he mean by 'abnormal'?_ I asked Heka.

_...Let's just say I chose_ you _for a reason,_ he answered. Me? What was so different between me and anyone else?

"So, Walt," Zia said, cutting into my thoughts. "You were saying something about how he's different before Anubis joined us."

"Right," Walt nodded. "He has a v–"

He was cut short by a flying penguin. It smacked him in the head, and Sadie clapped her free hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. A giggle from the door of the basketball court drew our attention to Felix, surrounded by penguins and snow. I stared. Snow, this early in the year?

"Felix," Carter chided. "I've told you hundreds of times: stop summoning penguins!"

"Aw, but I love penguins!" the boy said, pouting.

"Yeah, I think we all know that," Sadie said, rolling her eyes. "But it's really tiring for us to have to send them back." I glanced at the penguin that had come sailing through the air and now sat at my feet, staring up at me expectantly. Experimenting, I tilted my head to the left, and the penguin's body faded, allowing me to see the strand of blue-tinged white flowing through it.

I imagine the light bulb over my head would have blinded everyone if they could see it. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the penguin, on its _ka_. With a cold snap, I felt a connection form between the penguin's life force and mine. I searched through it for the influence of Felix's summoning spell and reversed it, willing the penguin to return home.

"What the-?" I opened my eyes to see Sadie staring at my feet. I looked down, and the penguin was gone.

"Where'd it go?" Carter asked, scratching his head in confusion.

"...I sent it back," I said. "To Antarctica."

"You what?" Zia stared at me, shocked. "But it takes almost an hour to make and use the proper spell..." I shrugged, shifting uncomfortably.

"I just used its _ka_." Walt nodded, understanding.

"Tell us how," he bid.

"I focused on the _ka_ and searched it, like a... a scroll. Felix's spell left an impression on it, and I just reversed the impression."

"Sounds like asserting your will on someone to change them into something," Carter noted.

"It probably follows the same principles," Zia agreed.

"How are you feeling right now?" Sadie asked me. I raised an eyebrow.

"Fine, why?"

"You're not tired?" she pressed.

"No. In fact, I feel invigorated," I said, flexing my fingers. Sadie and Carter exchanged a silent conversation. I instinctively knew Sadie was wondering if I had been drawing from Heka's magic reserves, and Carter wasn't sure.

_Did I use your magic?_ I asked Heka.

_No,_ he answered simply.

"I didn't use Heka's reserves," I said aloud. Carter and Sadie both jumped slightly.

"H-how did you know...?" Carter began, gesturing slightly between him and his sister. I shrugged.

"Instinct?" I offered.

"...You understood Khufu this morning, didn't you?" Walt asked. I nodded. "It may be part of your abilities, being able to understand things that most people can't, like the languages of animals, and silent conversations."

"But that isn't Egyptian, is it?" I asked, feeling down. If I were bringing Greek magic into an Egyptian place... Things wouldn't go well.

"Whatcha talking about?" Felix asked, popping up among us. Everyone else started at his sudden appearance, but I just reached over and rubbed his head, smiling so I wouldn't let him see how upset I was.

"We're discussing the easiest way to send all those penguins back home," I said. He pouted.

"But I don't want to send all those penguins back home," he complained.

"I know," I chuckled. "Maybe we can figure out a way for you to have a pet penguin, so you don't keep summoning these poor things." His eyes lit up, as I knew they would.

"REALLY?" he squealed. He began running around in circles, and then dashed out of the room, shouting to someone that he was going to get a pet penguin.

"You shouldn't have said that," Carter grimaced.

"Why not?" I asked. "Is there a problem letting him have a pet penguin?"

"First off, where are we going to keep it?" Sadie pointed out.

"I'll keep it in my room, if need be," I shrugged. All four of them exchanged glances, significant, but not conversational.

"Whatever," Zia said finally. "We'll talk about that later. Right now, let's round up those penguins before they wander off." We all smiled and hurried after the runaway penguins.


	5. Chapter 5

I had no idea Hecate was so beautiful. She appeared to me that night, after penguin roundup, a few more rounds of battling _shabti_, an amazing lunch, a long talk with Amos about religions, and a filling supper.

But what happened after _that_... Well, I never expected it.

After supper, I changed into pajamas and went out onto the balcony of my room for a bit to watch the sunset. It painted the Brooklyn skyline a gorgeous red and orange, like fire. Absently, I wondered if I could create fire, and I was just about to experiment when someone touched my shoulder. I jumped, because I had locked my bedroom door, so no one would bother me at night.

Behind me, a tall woman in a black tunic embroidered in light gray and white stood smiling gently. Her gold-brown hair was pulled over her trim shoulder in a thick plait and braided with silver and gray threads. She had pale skin, matched by pale cheeks and soft pink lips. The only actual color on her was her eyes; bright, glittering drops of the sea, her blue-green eyes looked very much like mine.

Like mine...

"...Hecate?" I whispered. Her smile broadened.

"Hello, son." She glided around in front of me and gestured at an open spot on the balcony. Gray-white tendrils of mist coalesced into a vague chair, and she settled into it.

"What...?" I was so shell-shocked, I couldn't even form a full sentence; this was my mother. My _mother_, whom I'd thought had run off when I was a baby, leaving me alone after my dad died.

"I'm not supposed to be here," she warned. "But I will stay for a bit and answer some of your questions." Her voice was smooth and warm, like fresh cocoa allowed to cool to the perfect temperature.

"If I'm your son," I began slowly, after a long moment of thought, "then how am I... How do I have the blood of pharaohs?"

"Your father," Hecate answered immediately. "He was a direct descendant of Cleopatra." She smiled. "Not the best of Egypt's pharaohs, but still very powerful." Something bothered me.

"If he had blood of the pharaohs, why was he a Christian?"

"You know, hon, I don't know," she replied. "That's something you'd have to ask him." Dead end. I switched tracks.

"How did...? I mean, if he was part of Egyptian culture, how did you two...?"

"We met quite by accident, Erasmus," she said, laughing softly. "I was in New Mexico, checking up on the Mist. The mortals there tend to see things they shouldn't, despite my magic, so I constantly have to check on it. Jerome, your father, was there on the lookout for trouble from a group of demons that had been stirring up the locals. I had a run-in with them, and Jerome thought I was a 'damsel-in-distress,' so he sent the demons back to the Duat, the hard way. He was rather shocked when I helped. Of course, he wanted to know who I was, and where I was from, and I wanted to know the same." She blushed lightly. "Well, I'm sure you can guess what happened after that." The tender look in her eyes told me she still loved my father. A deep part of me felt so much better.

"You didn't run away," I said, half to myself.

"No, love," she answered sadly. "I would have stayed if I could, but it was at that time that Zeus ordered us not to interfere with the humans anymore. I entrusted you to Jerome's care, but I never thought..."

"Never thought what?" I asked, dreading the answer.

"Jerome warned me that you would grow up in the House of Life, that you would not learn about your Greek blood until much later, for protection purposes. I accepted this because it was the only thing I could do. But when he died..." She sighed mournfully, looking like she wished she could go back and prevent my dad's death. "It wasn't an accident, Erasmus." I blinked and felt a tremor run up my spine.

"Y-you mean...?"

"Someone killed your father," she confirmed. "And even with all my magic, I cannot discover the identity of those that did it. The only thing I could learn besides the fact that they are extremely powerful, is that whoever it was, they hate both magicians and demigods." She caught my gaze and held it fiercely. "Do you understand what that means?" My gut sank, a knot forming in the pit of my stomach and dragging it down.

"I'm their greatest enemy," I whispered, slumping. Hecate leaned forward and took my hand. I longed to curl up in her lap and go to sleep, but I didn't dare, for multiple reasons, including the fact that I was no longer three years old.

"Erasmus, son, look at me," she said gently, her voice comforting and her soft hand squeezing mine. I managed to meet her gaze.

"What am I suppose to do?" I asked, feeling like, at any moment, I would break down and cry for the first time in my life. A sheen of tears covered her eyes.

"Honey, I wish I knew." She slid off her chair and knelt by mine. "I would do anything in the world if I knew it would help you." She looked down and chuckled wryly. "Did you know; in all my years, you are my only true son? I have chosen many young men to manipulate the Mist, to choose their fates, but I have only had female children." Now she looked up and smiled at me, reaching up to brush hair from my face. "You are my son, my only son, and I believe you are meant for amazing things." I almost did cry then, but instead I nodded.

Hecate stood, leaned over, and hugged me tight. I felt like melting into her arms; I returned the embrace.

"One final thing," she said, pulling back. "My brothers and sisters, the other Greek gods and goddesses, are battling themselves. I have less of an issue, since I stayed as Hecate in both Greece and Rome. But their Greek and Roman forms are in contention, and G-" She caught herself, as if saying the word meant bad things, and started again. "And Mother Earth is attempting to rise, stirring up mischief. She is trying to overthrow Geb, the Egyptian god of the earth. If she is not defeated, the Egyptian embodiment of Chaos will be allowed to rise and the whole world will dissolve into destruction."

"But..!"

"The Lord of Chaos _is_ attempting to rise again," she cut in. "As are Mother Earth and her husband Tartarus. And your help will be greatly needed, both here and with demigods. I cannot stay longer, nor can I say anything more at this time. You must train and hone your abilities, all of them; they must be in harmony.

"Erasmus, I love you, and I am so proud of you. I always will be, no matter what." She hugged me again, and then dissolved into mist, the chair dissolving as well. All the mist swirled around me, leaving a simple message, and faded. _Use the Mist..._

_Well that was dramatic,_ Heka announced. I scowled.

"Do I get no privacy with you?" I demanded aloud, standing and going into my room. As soon as the door closed, I let loose. Leaning against the glass of the door, I slid to the floor and allowed the tears to stream freely down my cheeks and drip without heed. My mother... She really loved me, and had wanted me. I closed my eyes and listened to the hum of the A/C system, crying, as I had never done before, not even when I was little and Anthony Pierce had teased me mercilessly. I hadn't cried even when my father died, but now...

"Erasmus?" For the second time that night, I jumped, but this time it was in disbelief. Could it be...? I opened my eyes and looked over at the corner of my room that was not lit by the moon. A dark form stepped closer, the silver skull ring on his hand glinting.

"Nico..." I stared. "What...?"

"I think you pulled me into your dream again," he noted in annoyance. I blinked. This was a dream? I must have cried myself to sleep and not realized it. But dreaming of the place I'm in? That's definitely new. And a little disturbing, to be honest.

"I'm sorry," I said sincerely. "I don't try, I promise."

"Yeah, well, your power, for whatever reason, is a magnet for me," he muttered, staying in the shadows. I noticed a flicker on his arm, just as he crossed them, his teeth flashing as he gritted them.

"That fading thing..." I began, standing. "What's happening?" He hesitated, looking at me with a searching expression, as though wondering if it would be worth explaining everything to me.

"Shadow-travel means becoming a shadow," he said slowly, his voice low. "As the one doing it, I have to expend energy focusing on where I want to go, making myself and whoever is with me become shadows, and reforming on the other side." He trailed off, hesitating again.

"...And your body doesn't want to reform after using up so much energy," I finished for him after a moment. He flinched, answering me better than words. "With all your dreams, do you get any rest while sleeping?"

"I..." He paused, and I noticed his legs trembling. Striding across the room, I reached his side just in time to catch him before he collapsed.

"Get some rest," I told him gently, guiding him to my bed. "You're going to need it."

"It's a dream, idiot," he said, but there was no bite to his words.

"Doesn't mean you can't rest," I retorted.

"I can't," he said, even as he lowered himself back to lay flat on my bed. "We're making another jump tonight."

"All the more reason to rest," I insisted. "What good will you be if you can't shadow-travel to the camp like you're supposed to?"

"It's a dream," he repeated, staring at the ceiling. His arms shifted slightly, becoming slightly foggy. I wondered what I could possibly do without having to go to Jaz for help.

_You know,_ Heka began. _As the embodiment of_ ka _related magic, I–_

_Shut up,_ I snapped at him.

_Do you_ WANT _him to vanish into oblivion?_ he returned savagely. I winced.

_...What do you suggest?_ I asked, subdued.

_Connect to his_ ka _and heal the fading parts of the strand,_ he answered, gentler. I hesitated.

_How do I heal it?_

_The same way you sent that penguin back to its home; by reversing the impression._ I considered that. Would it work as well on a human?

Nico lifted his hands, paling when he saw how smoky they were, and I decided I had to try. He clenched his fists and focused, gritting his teeth, fear and anger painting his expression.

"I'm going to try something, Nico," I said softly, leaning over him and reaching out to touch his shoulder. "Just relax, and breath." He obeyed, after giving me a curious look, and in a moment, I would have thought he was asleep but for the creases in his face that betrayed his agitation. I tilted my head to the left and his body faded, showing a very dark purple strand that glowed like a black light. I concentrated, searching it for damage. Sections of it were frayed, the worn threads tinged red. Gulping, I gently urged his _ka_ to connect to mine. It did, with a subtle snap, and I felt his increased heart rate, his anxiety, his quickening breathes, his growing fear, all as if it were my own. I willed the damaged sections to heal, the heart to stop racing, the breathing to relax, and the fear and anxiety to leave. The first three followed my directive instantly, but his fear, instead of dissipating, swelled.

"What are you doing?" Nico asked, terror in his voice. As soon as the damage was gone, I disconnected from his _ka_, hating myself. His arms were firm again, no signs of haziness, but I felt as though I had damaged him more than I'd healed him.

"I'm sorry," I said, moving away to the glass door. "I shouldn't have done that." He sat up, slowly, carefully, looking down at his hands. He felt his arm, not quite believing his eyes.

"What did you do?" he asked softly, awed.

"I... I'm a soul magician, according to Zia," I answered mournfully, turning to look out at the Brooklyn Skyline. "Heka is the embodiment of magic, and his specialty is the _ka_ magic, relating to the life force of a soul."

"...so you healed my life force?" he asked.

"I... I think so," I answered quietly, nodding slowly and not daring to meet his gaze.

For the first time, Nico surprised me without hitting me. I hadn't noticed him come up next to me, but he suddenly took my chin and turned me, placing his lips on mine in a gentle kiss.

"Thank you," he whispered. I blushed so hard, I was certain I lit up the room on my own.

"Y-you're welcome," I managed, looking away. "Um, y-you should lay back down."

"You're going to keep pushing, aren't you?" he sighed. Grateful for a reason to move on, I nodded firmly.

"Until you rest, absolutely," I confirmed. He grunted and turned away, twisting the skull ring on his finger. I waited until he was at least seated on the edge of my bed before speaking again. "That ring is important to you, isn't it?"

"...Bianca gave it to me," he said after a long moment, staring at the ring as he toyed with it.

"A friend of yours?" I prompted curiously.

"My sister," he countered. "She... died." I waited, but he didn't elaborate, which I guess was alright because my curiosity was dulled the moment he said she died.

"I know the feeling," I said quietly. He glanced up at me, a hint of pain in his otherwise emotionless gaze.

After a moment, he closed his eyes and let himself fall back on the bed with a tired sigh.

"...it's been so long since I've been in a real bed," he muttered quietly. Moving away from the window, I leaned against the headboard of the bed, debating whether or not it was a good idea to sit with him or not.

I watched his eyes flutter beneath the lids, and wondered what he was imagining. Of its own accord, my hand reached out and swept the dark locks of his hair from his face. He turned into it, but otherwise didn't react.

Guilt shot through me with the sinful lust I felt for him. I shifted, leaning over, and touched my lips to his, praying silently, desperately that God would forgive me.

I had meant only to kiss him once, but once started, I couldn't stop. He accepted it, endorsed it even, reaching up to tangle his fingers in my short hair, pulling me closer. I touched the joint of his jaw and neck, running my fingers across the cool skin to his collarbone. I moved my lips to follow my fingers, settling on the edge of the bed. His breathing was calm and even, hitching only once, but his heart beat quickly beneath my lips.

I just couldn't stop myself. My hand slipped under his shirt to caress the taut muscles of his stomach. His breathing changed then; each breath was long and slow as he tried to calm himself. I returned my lips to his, and felt his tongue touch mine, gently, testing the waters.

"Now I understand what Anubis meant by Heka being odd," a voice said from the door. Shit.

I jerked upright, blushing furiously, to see Walt leaning against the doorframe. For a moment, I had to blink and rub my eyes, my brain balking at what my eyes were seeing. But when I looked again, he hadn't changed; Walt was a man-headed chicken.

The worst part though wasn't seeing him with such a strange appearance, it was that he wasn't at all fazed by what he'd seen, though his eyebrow was raised in amused interest.

"Walt... What...? Why...?" I couldn't form a complete thought, but the dark-skinned young man seemed to understand anyway.

"My _ba_ decided to take a little trip, and for whatever reason, chose to visit you," he explained. "I didn't think I'd be interrupting anything." I glanced at Nico, who'd sat up, and saw him blushing at least as much as me, but his eyes were horror-filled; someone had seen him making out with a guy. Who cared that this was a dream? We'd all still remember it when we woke up.

"...You have an aura of death," Walt said, focusing on Nico and easily changing the subject. "Are you the son of Hades Carter told me about?" Nico swung his legs over the edge of the bed, swaying as he nodded. I put my hand on his arm to keep him from falling on his face.

"Walt, this is Nico," I said hesitantly, "Nico, Walt. He hosts Anubis, like I host Heka." Nico pushed himself upright, using my shoulder to keep balance, and stuck his hand at Walt, faltering as he spared a glance for the wing at Walt's side. The magician looked down, and hummed in mild annoyance.

"Not the best form," he admitted. "I haven't had the best of luck changing it, but I can at least try." He focused and a moment later, his form shimmered to a more human shape. It flickered, but remained human, so he stepped away from the door and offered a hand. Nico hesitated only a moment before taking it.

"Keep in mind," he growled, "this doesn't mean I like you..." Walt grinned slightly.

"Of course not," he replied, releasing Nico's hand. "Anubis, though... He thinks you're rather interesting."

_What am I, chopped liver?_ Heka snorted, startling me; I hadn't realized he was still a part of me, even in a dream. I sensed his amusement at my surprise, and the amusement turned to humor, probably at Anubis' reply, since Walt glanced at me curiously.

_What was that about?_ I asked Heka.

_It's a long story, Ras, for another time,_ he chuckled.

_Don't call me Ras,_ I said.

"I should go," Nico began, starting to move. I grabbed his arm.

"No." If there was one thing I wouldn't allow, it was that he would shadow-travel himself to death. Literally. And if he left this dream before he was properly rested, I would never forgive myself should he actually try. "Stay here until you feel stronger; I won't let you go while you're this tired."

"But–"

"He has a point," Walt cut in. "If you can't even stand on your own, how do you plan on doing anything helpful?"

"Assuming you can even leave," I added. "Remember what happened last time you tried to leave my dream?" I made a zero with one hand, indicating the fruitlessness of Nico's last attempt. The son of Hades gritted his teeth, and I could tell he was moments from drawing his Stygian sword against Walt. Or me. Or both.

I put my hand over the hilt just as his hand reached for it, and our fingers brushed. He cast me a warning glare; apparently he was more angry at Walt than me, but his look said that could easily change.

"No," I said again, firmly, returning his glare without so much as a wink. He gave in with a sound somewhere between a sigh and a scoff, scowling at the ground. I looked over at Walt, who was watching with an amused smile playing at his lips.

"My _ba_ is about to take off for some other fun adventure," he said, "so... see ya. Hope no one else stumbles on your dreams." Before I could respond, he floated through the door. Blushing hotly, I turned and helped Nico back onto the bed. Well, more like I forced him; he kept trying to stand, and I kept pushing him back.

"Nico, you need rest," I said. He shook his head.

"I need to get out of here and back to Coach and Reyna," he said stubbornly.

"Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure they'd agree with me on t-" I cut off as I gave him a shove that was a bit more forceful than I'd meant to and he flailed, grabbing my arm. He still toppled, taking me with him. I landed straddling him, my hands on either side of his head to keep from knocking mine against his. He stared up at me through the black veil of his hair, red slowly coloring his cheeks.

"...this..." I finished, readying an apology. The barest hint of longing in his gaze chased away all thoughts of saying "I'm sorry."

"Why do you always land on me?" he whispered. Unable to control myself, I leaned down and touched my lips to his ear.

"It's not always my fault," I returned, catching his ear lobe between my teeth. He hissed, though not in pain or anger, and his hands found my hips. I swung my legs around and almost yanked him fully on the bed before straddling him again, pressing my lips to his. He opened his mouth and slid his tongue across mine. I groaned, half in pleasure as guilt-filled ecstasy shot through me, half in embarrassment as I felt myself reacting. His knee lifted, touching me, and I felt him grin through our kiss.

"I thought this was wrong in your beliefs," he noted, biting my lower lip. I blushed, but stayed where I was.

"It is," I replied. "I'm a sinner, and I wouldn't be surprised if I go to a place you couldn't visit."

"Wouldn't need to try," he said, taking my hand. "Because I'd be there, too." He put my hand on his groin, where I felt a bulge that mirrored mine. I pulled back to look him in the eye. His face was still red, yet he met my gaze levelly. I smiled softly and lowered myself onto him, pressing my body flush to his, sliding my hands under his shirt. His breath hitched and he put his hands on my shoulders.

"Sit up," he whispered. I paused, and then obeyed. He sat up as well and tugged his shirt over his head. Tossing it aside, he glanced up at me, and I seriously thought my pants would tear; as it was, there was a rather large tent.

I moved without thinking, pushing him down on the bed, invading his mouth, and running my fingertips across his surprisingly muscled chest. One of his hands tangled in my hair, keeping me there, and the other slipped to my waist, pulling me down on him. I could feel his reaction against mine, and developed a desperate desire to taste him. With my mouth still locked to his, I reached between us and unzipped his pants. He hesitated, then lifted himself so that I could push his pants down. I broke the kiss and slid down his heated body to take him in my mouth. Even never having done this before, I knew to suck gently, feeling him harden more, gasping. He reached down and tugged at my hair, panting heavily. I gave him what he silently begged for, nearly laughing when he took my headrest and pressed it to his face to muffle his groans.

When he came, strangling a cry of absolute pleasure, I nearly choked, but managed to swallow it all. I straddled his half naked body and kissed his throat, feeling the steady, racing beat of his heart. He reached up slowly and pressed his fingers to my face. Somehow, they were cold. He lifted his head and molded his lips to mine, weakly. Then he fell back. For a moment, I was scared, but his gentle snoring assured me he was just exhausted. I sighed and sat up.

"Sure, leave me to take care of myself, why don't you?" I muttered.

_It was his first time, of course he passed out,_ Heka said. Startled, I jumped, tumbling off the bed with a soft thump.

_...Please tell me you weren't paying attention to that..._ I said. He laughed.

_Of course I was!_ He was perfectly frank. Great. I groaned and stood.

_Could you just go away or something?_ I asked him, picking up Nico's shirt. I laid it over the chair of my desk and tugged his pants back onto him, trying not to wake him. After settling him into my bed and drawing up the covers, I grabbed a box of tissues, knowing I'd need them to clean up. As much as I hated myself for it, this wouldn't be the first time I'd jacked off.

_I could,_ Heka answered finally, _but you're just too interesting._

_At least be quiet,_ I said, waiting until I felt him retreat before dropping my sweatpants and kneeling beside the bed. I touched myself, glancing at Nico and feeling myself harden almost in an instant. I winced, rubbing hard and trying to imagine him helping me. A knot of pleasure built up in my stomach, shooting through my veins and collecting in my brain like a disease. But it was slow, taking what seemed like forever.

"Come on, damn it," I murmured, stroking faster. I had it just right for a moment and gasped, but then it was gone. What would it take to get rid of this?

"Need help?" a smooth voice whispered sleepily in my ear. I looked up at Nico as he reached down and took me in his cold fingers. My body reacted instantly, heat pooling and coiling in my gut, and I tilted my head back, letting out a silent moan but refusing to actually make a sound. He stopped and moved back a bit, saying, "Get on the bed."

When I did, he stretched out by my side and put his hand to my groin. I turned to face him, putting my lips on the corner of his mouth. He ran his tongue across them and moved his mouth to my ear.

"My turn," he whispered huskily, stroking me lightly. I relaxed and let him take over. His mouth and hands moved slowly, with the uncertainty of an amateur, but deliberately, with the surety of one who knows _what_ he's doing, if not _how_. Bliss clouded my senses, and I lost myself in his touch, wanting nothing more than to forget the world and bury myself in him. Literally and figuratively. The moment I came, I snatched the tissue box and cleaned us both up, wiping off the sheets as well. Nico watched me with a veiled expression.

"Have you done this before?" he asked. I paused, noting the slight strain in his voice; he was angry and anxious.

"...To myself," I said softly, tossing the spent tissues at the wastebasket by the desk. I turned to him and placed my hand on the curve of his neck. "You're my first." It didn't matter to me that this was only a dream—one I fully intended to make reality if possible—I wanted him to know I was serious about this, and I made sure to look him in the eye, so he'd know for sure I wasn't lying, though my embarrassment made it the last thing I wanted to do. The look of suspicion in his gaze changed almost instantly to guilt. He glanced away, but I turned him toward me and gently brushed his lips with mine.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I shouldn't be so..." He paused, holding my gaze as he tried to think of the word he wanted.

"Jealous?" I suggested, grinning. He snorted, rolling his eyes.

"Go to sleep," he said, laying down. "Or wake up, or whatever." His avoidance of the option told me I'd hit the mark, and I smirked. I took only a moment to pull on my sweatpants and then laid down beside him, tugging the blankets over us. He was already half asleep, laying on my headrest, and I smiled, leaning down to plant a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"Good night, Nico," I said softly. To myself, I finished the statement, though I would never say it aloud: _I love you..._


	6. Chapter 6

It didn't really surprise me that Nico was gone when I awoke, given that it was all a dream—well, minus the cum all over my sheets, but that was my own fault—still, depression settled on me, which ruined my mood for the day. Strangely enough, it must also have made me more powerful, because I dominated the tests Carter and Sadie gave me.

I had found a note on my desk when I got up, which meant that Nico must have visited in person at some point. The thought both cheered me and scared me; had he shadow-traveled? Despite my healing, I didn't think his _ka_ would be able to stand much more of it.

As for the note, I didn't read it; I didn't _want_ to. Instead, I tucked it into the pocket of the hoodie I chose to wear, donned it and a pair of jeans, and went downstairs for breakfast. Amos was gone, back to the First Nome and House of Life HQ, according to Sadie. And Zia had gone with him.

After the meal, Carter took me outside to work on combat magic. The mansion—which stood on top of an old, abandoned warehouse by the river—was huge from the outside, but only if you could see it; I looked away and it was gone from my peripheral. It took focus to see it. But I didn't care about that; I didn't care about anything. Nico was gone now; why should I?

"I'm going to attack you," Carter said. "I'll go easy, so try not to kill me." He stepped away from me and took a breath, focusing. A gold glow surrounded him and expanded, lifting him off the ground and encasing him in a huge avatar. I stared, awed, but amazingly not surprised. He stepped forward and the falcon-headed man did the same. He drew his sword and pointed it at me. The avatar mimicked him, its blade—a _khopesh_, I remembered—came within inches of me. I glared up the blade at Carter, wondering if I could imagine him as the reason Nico had left without saying goodbye.

"Begin," Carter said. I whirled to the side, just as the _khopesh_ slammed into the ground where I'd been standing, leaving a good sized-ditch. Even the flat of the blade could be deadly. Carter grimaced and stepped back, saying, "Sorry; still getting used to the power this thing has."

I tilted my head to the left, and his sun-like gold life force came into view. It was contained in a shimmering fiery yellow life force that I instinctively knew was Horus'. I prodded at Carter's, trying to connect, and found that the other _ka_ blocked me, like television interference. I smiled harshly, eager to accept this challenge.

_Be careful not to let your emotions get away from you,_ Heka warned as I dodged another swipe.

_What emotions?_ I asked, as though I didn't know.

_Your anger, frustration,_ he said while I ducked under Carter's avatar. _Your loss and pain, and your confusion._ I grimaced. It was very difficult to keep anything from a god, especially when he was in your head.

But Heka's caution was echoed by my own conscience, so I took a deep breath to calm myself. Carter swung again, and this time, I let out all my emotions with the first word that came to mind, setting it free in a single cry, the word for 'back.'

"_I'at_!" I caught the blade in my hand, and it instantly flew upward, wrenching loose of Carter's hand. For a moment, he faltered, shocked, and I used that moment to say another word, which meant 'arrow': _sesir_. A burst of emerald light shot from my still-extended palm and slammed into his chest, throwing him backward. He crashed into the wall, the avatar flickering and vanishing. Amazed that I had so much power, I stood there for a moment, blinking.

"You pass," Carter called from the rubble, his voice muffled and slurred, as though he'd been drinking. "Go find Sadie..." I hurried over and moved a few large pieces of cement to pry Carter out of it.

"Are you ok?" I asked worriedly. "I didn't mean to... I mean, I didn't know I had so much power!" He shook his head, as though to reset his brain, and looked up at me.

"Nah, it's cool," he grinned. "I'm fine; just a bit winded. My avatar took most of the hit. Go tell Sadie it's her turn to get beat up on." I sighed in relief and nodded.

§§§

Sadie was in on the basketball court, playing with Khufu and some of the younger kids, helping them learn hand-eye coordination and multi-tasking. When she saw me in the door, she told the kids to get a drink of water, saying Carter would be in shortly. They left, laughing and chatting, with Khufu following to supervise them. Somehow, that didn't strike me as the best idea.

Sadie came over, panting slightly and grinning.

"Tell me he's exhausted," she said in greeting. I shrugged.

"More like shocked." I almost wanted to laugh at the 'drat...' look on her face. I guess my mood was improving.

"Well, it takes a lot to shock me," she said. "Come on." She led me up to the roof, where Freak dozed in his shelter. We went to the opposite end and faced off. She summoned her staff and used it to draw a circle around herself before sending it away again, saying, "Knock me out of the circle, if you can."

I studied her, and the circle, which seemed to be nothing more than a glowing drawing in the dirt of the roof. I picked up a pebble, imagined it charged with Greek magic, and flicked it at the circle. A gentle gray aura surrounded the pebble as it left my hand. Then it shot off in another direction with a sharp, electric snap and sparks. The pebble was a charred grain of sand now, and I shivered. What if I touched the barrier?

Stepping back, I inspected Sadie head to toe, ignoring the obvious things like her clothes. I noted her edgy posture, her flicking eyes, her annoyed expression, even her twitching fingers, which had to be a nervous tick. I tilted my head to the left and inspected her sapphire blue _ka_. It was swifter than anyone else's I'd seen, but also thinner, like the same amount of water poured through a tighter space. Around her, similar to the yellow _ka_ of Horus, was a pale, sky blue _ka_, likely that of Isis. I suspected that if I tried to connect to Sadie's _ka_ at this time, it would be irritatingly unfruitful. Instead, I decided to try a more direct approach.

Zia was right—not everything can be solved with physical prowess. But some things could.

Scooping up a handful of pebbles, I charged them with Greek magic, flung them at her protective circle, and dived forward. The gray-covered pebbles were reflected again, two of them pinging me in the face, but my hunch paid off; as soon as the circle hissed and spat like an angry cat, I thrust my hand forward, slipping through the momentary lapse of protection, and shoved a very surprised Sadie Kane backward. She stumbled out of the circle, which flickered and disappeared. Sitting down hard, she looked up at me.

"I..." she squeaked. "You..." Pausing for a moment to get her bearings, she began again. "You actually shocked me... You didn't even use any magic!" I grinned and held out my hand to help her up. She stood, also grinning, and her usual mischief and annoyingness returned. "Let's go have lunch. I think Walt wanted to talk to us afterward." I nodded my agreement, and we headed downstairs for some food.

§§§

After the meal, Walt gathered us on the terrace while the older kids herded the young ones inside—'us' being me, Sadie, Carter, and Jaz, the last for some unknown reason.

"So," Sadie started as soon as we were settled. "Walt keeps getting interrupted every time he tries to explain something; let's actually let him finish this time." Carter rolled his eyes but didn't say anything.

"Well, we all know Erasmus is different from the rest of us," Walt said. "He has background in two different cult-"

"Three," I cut in.

"What?"

"Three different cultures; I'm still a Christian," I explained, "even if I don't quite understand how it works..."

"Alright, three different cultures," he amended. "That means he has power from three different sources. Not only does he have magic reserves of his own, he has those of Heka. And, though I'm not sure how Greek magic works, he has access to that as well. I would assume it works on the same principles of being related to different gods' specialties. Only the... Christian side of it confuses me; what abilities do you have?" I shrugged.

"I don't think I have any special abilities," I said slowly. "As a Christian, I believe that the Lord protects me and leads me on the path He chose for me." I frowned. "Though why He would choose this..." I shook my head. "Beyond me."

"Mm-hmm. Anyway, Erasmus is the most powerful magician I've ever seen," Walt said. "Even more powerful than Amos."

"More powerful than Amos?" Carter repeated, stunned.

"Much more," Walt nodded. "He has a stronger, brighter soul than Osiris, and more life in it than Ra." I sat back, shocked. My soul had more life in it than the sun god's?

"You're kidding!" Sadie blurted. "He's only half Egyptian, if he has anything to do with Greek gods. Make that a third, since he's Christian!" I winced. Persecution from everywhere.

"Sadie, being a Christian is a life choice," Carter corrected. "Christianity isn't something gained through blood, like magic is. Erasmus is half Egyptian, half Greek, and happens to be a Christian as well."

"Hey guys," Jaz cut in, raising her hand for attention, like a kid in school. "I don't mean to be rude, but, well, Erasmus _can_ hear you, you know." I shot her a grateful look. It's tough being the center of attention and yet nobody pays attention to you.

"Sorry, Ras," Sadie muttered.

_I like her,_ Heka noted. I scowled.

"Shut up," I hissed. Sadie looked up in surprise and I realized I'd spoken aloud. I hastily amended myself: "No, not you... Heka's being annoying again..." She frowned, but thankfully didn't say anything.

"As I was saying," Walt began again. Before he could get any further, a shadow coalesced into a humanoid form near the door, in the shade of an awning. I jumped to my feet, cutting Walt off, as Nico stumbled forward with several arrows sticking out of his left shoulder like trees on a hill. A few had pierced all the way through and I could see the blood-stained arrowheads peering out from the front of his shoulder. A red stain spread across his chest, clashing morbidly with the bright, happy colors of his shirt.

"What in the name of Ra...?" Jaz exclaimed softly, wide-eyed.

"Good heavens!" Sadie shouted. She shoved her chair back and stood, nearly tripping over the chair in her hurry to assist him. I was already there, followed closely by Walt. Carter stood slowly, his face grim.

"Nico, what happened?" I demanded, taking his chin in an effort to meet his gaze. He slumped against me, panting. Walt grabbed his other arm and together we helped him into a chair next to Jaz, whose fingers instantly started flying across him, searching for other wounds and cleaning them.

"Tell us what happened," Carter bid softly, crouching beside Nico.

"E- Eras- Erasmus," Nico managed, ignoring everyone else, including Jaz, and leaning heavily on the arm of his chair. His hand snaked out and gripped my wrist, painting it in blood. "They're... they're after you... empousai, telkhines, demons, monsters... all kinds... after you..."

"W-what are you talking about?" I asked, dreading the answer I already knew was coming.

"A price... on your head... Gaea... she wants you dead..." he wheezed. Jaz's hands froze, Sadie gasped, and Walt and Carter exchanged worried glances. "...she sent... a message... let me go... to tell you..." He dropped his hand and his gaze, but I continued staring at him. Gaea, Mother Earth, wanted me dead. It was just like Hecate had said; I was the greatest enemy of someone very powerful. I don't think she realized just _how_ powerful. And Gaea was taunting me; she let Nico get away to...

I ran over the phrase again in my head. _...let me go..._ No. No, no, no, no, no!

"Nico," I breathed. "Where are Coach and Reyna?" He cringed, drawing in on himself. I crouched beside him and grabbed his shoulders, barely avoiding the arrows, shaking him slightly. "Where are Coach Hedge and Reyna?" Walt touched my arm lightly, starting to say something, but I slapped him away and repeated myself, managing to constrain my fear but not my anger.

Nico slowly raised his eyes to mine. They were filled with pain and sorrow, and self-loathing, the last of which increased as he replied softly: "Gaea... has them captive... You have... two hours to... to show up... or..." He couldn't finish, but I knew what he'd say. I had two hours to give myself up, or Gaea would kill both satyr and praetor. Rage filled me and I stood, grabbed the corner of the table, and hurled it across the veranda. It sailed over the pool, over Philip of Macedonia and Ganymede, and crashed into the railing on the other side. But long before it shattered, I kicked a brazier into the railing on the near side, and then snatched a potted plant and hurled it at the wall.

Someone grabbed my shoulder and I whirled, gripping their wrist and spinning them around so they faced away from me on their knees. I planted my knee in their back and forced them to the floor. My sword appeared in my hand and flashed as it arced toward my attacker's neck.

_"ERASMUS!"_ Two familiar voices snapped at me simultaneously, and I faltered, my blade stabbing into the ground less than an inch away from my captive's neck. I blinked, registering the blonde hair, the petite build, the wide blue eyes staring in terror, the tiny wrist in my colossal hand.

"...Jaz," I whispered hoarsely. Realizing how close I'd come to killing her, I threw myself back, scrambling off her. The others stood stone still, utterly astonished. Sadie broke first and hurried over to help Jaz stand. I stepped back until I hit the railing, staring in horror. Beyond everyone, I could see the older magicians hustling away the younger ones with worried glances out the windowed doors. Sliding to the ground, I dropped my head into my hands.

"What have I done?" I breathed in anguish. A light touch on my shoulder made me jump, and Nico instantly moved back, holding up his hands.

"It's alright, Erasmus," he assured, trying for a reassuring smile. Pain cut through it, though; arrows still blossomed in his shoulder. Even so, he knelt beside me, ready to help despite needed it himself.

"...Go away, Nico," I said, my voice cracking. "I don't want to hurt anyone... but I almost killed Jaz."

"You're angry, and frustrated," he countered. "You've been threatened, and you're friends are being used to hurt you. It's understandable that you lost it." I stared at my hands, wondering if they'd ever be clean of other peoples' blood again.

"...You stopped me, didn't you?" I murmured, not daring to look up and see the pain—emotional and physical—in his eyes. "You called my name..."

"...Yes," he answered softly. "I called your name." I leaned over, subtly, and kissed his cheek, hoping I did so in a way that no one else could see.

"Thank you," I whispered. He blushed deep red.

_Hey, I called your name, too!_ Heka complained. _Don't I get thanks?_ I chuckled wryly inside.

_Thank you as well, Heka,_ I told him. He _humph_ed, like he didn't care anymore.

"Erasmus?" Carter said, stepping toward us. I was beginning to hate my own name.

"What?" I snapped, glaring at him. He stepped back and swallowed.

"Look, er, if you need help..." He swallowed again and struggled to meet my fierce gaze. "I mean, we aren't much..."

"Oh, brother dear," Sadie snorted, planting her feet and cocking her hip with a bravado that I could see was only skin deep. "Erasmus, you can't go into battle with a goddess like Gaea on your own and even hope to survive. Heck, Nico and two others couldn't stand up to her, three-on-one, and you think you can win one-on-one?" As she spoke, the bravado spread deeper. "Fat chance! Carter and I will help you."

"So will Anubis and I," Walt said, a corner of his mouth tugging upward. He crouched next to Jaz, who was doing something to her wrist. Without taking her eyes off whatever it was, she raised her free hand, saying, "Same here." Sadie nodded and cast half a glance at the doors before turning back to me.

"There you have it, Erasmus," she said, crossing her arms. "You have five people willing to help, if you count Walt and Anubis separately." Her posture dared me to challenge her. I did; I stood and faced her, clenching jaw and fists, and glaring.

"This is my fight," I growled. "You have no part in this; you're not Greek, you're Egyptian. Gaea didn't threaten you, she threatened me, and I am damn well going to make her eat her words on my own." Sadie paled slightly and Jaz froze. Walt sighed and stood.

"Erasmus, you're just not getting it, are you?" he said, his voice firm and sharp. "This isn't just your fight either. If Gaea wins, she's overthrown Geb, which means Ma'at will be unbalanced, and Apophis will rise again." The hairs on the back of my neck prickled at the name. Carter winced, but Walt was focused on me. His gaze turned feral and I knew Anubis backed him in this. He stepped right up to me, our eyes level. "You are half Egyptian, one of us, and you have the gall to say this has nothing to do with us?" His hand went to my shirt front, but before he could do more than touch, he went stumbling back.

Nico stood, battle-ready, between us, his Stygian sword extended to press against Walt's neck. A drop of blood trickled down, staining his shirt collar red. I stared, absolutely stunned.

"Touch him again, dog," Nico hissed. "I dare you." I could hear the pain in his voice, could see the blood soaking his shirt, but he stood perfectly still, unfazed by his wounds or Walt's severe stare. The tall black kid stood, focusing as his body shimmered. I got the sense he was holding Anubis back, with difficulty. But in moments, Anubis won, standing and facing Nico in full battle gear, complete with jackal head.

"You dare defy the god of death?" he snarled. Nico snorted in amusement.

"I defy my father all the time," he said. "You're nothing compared to him. Even Thanatos is worse than you, and I have yet to see him _not_ back down from me. Like I said, nothing." The deliberateness in his voice made me wince; it was an all but outright challenge. Anubis' eyes flared bloodthirsty. Baring his fangs, he crouched, as though ready to pounce.

"I'll show you 'nothing,'" he barked. Despite his threat, I heard something like admiration in his voice. As he moved to lunge, I decided I was fed up with the arguing; I slipped between him and Nico, who was raising his sword, and gestured at each of them.

"_Tas hirup!_" I cried. They both froze, partly out of surprise, but mostly because of the spell. I turned to Anubis, feeling somewhat ashamed of myself. "You've made your point; I shouldn't have assumed none of you were affected. But arguing about it doesn't help anyone, least of all Coach or Reyna." After a slight hesitation, I continued. "I accept your offer of help. With thanks." Then I turned to Nico. "Your news is distressing, but your support welcomed. Thank you for standing by me." Moving to the side, I released them both, and Anubis immediately shifted back to Walt, who grimaced.

"I'm sorry," he said to Nico. "I tried to hold him back, but he isn't exactly the easiest person to get along with, even for a god." Nico shrugged, and instantly winced, reaching up to touch his wounded shoulder.

"I'm not either," he said, carefully lowering himself to sit against the railing, then cast a glance at me. "Though some people manage it."

"So, about your plans..." Walt said after a moment, looking at me. I thought for a moment, but nothing came to mind.

"I'm not really sure. Cart-" I turned to the Kanes, but they and Jaz were frozen. Even Philip and Ganymede were stone still in ice-like water. I blinked. "Did I do that?"

_No, that was my fault,_ Heka said, completely unashamed. _I ramped up the power of your binding spell to encompass pretty much the entire house._ I slapped my hand to my face, groaning. Walt laughed and I scowled half-heartedly at him. He waved at me, trying to smother his laughter with his free hand.

"N-no, not you," he gasped. "Anubis... Anubis said Heka was being an ass again!"

"Alright, Heka," I muttered, just loud enough for Walt and Nico to hear, "stop being an ass and release everyone." Walt grabbed his sides and doubled over with laughter, and Nico glanced to the side, snickering. Heka spluttered in my head.

_B-b-b-b-but...!_

_Are you a motorboat or a god?_ I cut in. _Let them go._ He sighed and I felt a slight snap. Philip and Ganymede resumed splashing. Carter, Sadie, and Jaz jumped slightly at hearing Walt's mirth, and they all looked at me, confused. I shook my head.

"Heka froze everyone," I explained.

"Well that's stupid!" Sadie exclaimed, planting her hands on her hips. "We're on a time limit and he goes wasting time by freezing everybody? Idiot."

_Beat her up,_ Heka pleaded. _Oh please, oh_ please _beat her up._ Well, that was quick switch from admiration to denial.

_No._ He huffed in disappointment while I turned and crouched next to Nico, saying, "Carter, how soon can Freak be ready to go?"

"I'll hook him up now," he replied, moving toward the door. "He'll be ready when you are."

"Any plans?" Jaz asked as Carter disappeared into the house.

"First, I'm taking care of Nico," I answered, and tilted my head to the left to inspect Nico's _ka_. The arrows pulsed bright red next to his deep purple and I frowned. Did the arrows have their own life force?

_They're marked as foreign objects to the_ ka, Heka said. _Anything that doesn't belong to a given_ ka _will be colored red like that._

_What if the person has a red_ ka_?_ I asked him. I sensed him give a kind of shrug.

_Then they are a creature of chaos and everything does not belong,_ he said. Well that answered everything. Not.

"Grab onto something, Nico," I warned, reaching up to take hold of the arrows. "This is going to hurt." One hand flew to the bars of the railing, fogging slightly so that his hand went through the bars at first, the other gripped my knee. I ignored it, though my body didn't, and I snapped one arrow in half, sliding the imbedded end through quickly. He hissed, his knuckles turning white on both hands. I was glad they were firm again.

"Three more." I snapped the next one and slid it out, following immediately with the second to last. Nico turned his head into his uninjured shoulder and groaned, his fingernails clawing my knee. "Last one."

But the last one refused to come out; I broke the shaft easily, but the arrowhead was stuck. I tugged gently and he writhed, his mouth opening in a soundless scream.

"Let me," Jaz said, stepping up next to us. I glanced between her and Nico, whose face shone with perspiration. With a curt nod, I shifted to let her take my place. She knelt as I took his hand off my knee and let him squeeze mine as Jaz prodded at the arrow. I remembered how we'd been in the same situation not too long ago, our positions swapped.

"Last one, Nico, and then it's over with," I whispered soothingly. He gripped my hand so tightly I couldn't feel my fingertips anymore. Jaz glanced at me, and I could tell she was going to have to yank it out. I nodded and she wrapped her fingers around the exposed portion of the arrow, clenching her jaw. In one swift motion, she jerked it free, whispering something in Egyptian as she did. Nico arched his back, instinctively pulling away from the pain, and I supported him as he fell forward. His fingernails dug into my back and tears trickled from his firmly shut eyes to soak my neck and shirt. The tiniest of whimpers escaped his throat and I gently hugged him, saying, "That's it; it's done."

After a moment, Jaz stepped back; his hold on me loosened and he pulled away. I kept one hand on his uninjured shoulder and looked over at Walt, who watched with an interested smile tugging at his lips. I frowned at him, but otherwise ignored the fact that he knew what was simmering just beneath the surface.

"Get Sadie and Jaz up to the roof," I told him. "Nico and I will be there shortly." He nodded and turned to the girls.

"Alright, ladies," he said. "Time to go." Sadie took his proffered hand and Jaz followed them into the house. I waited until they were out of sight before returning my attention to Nico. I helped him lay down and tilted my head to the left. His _ka_ pulsed at the shoulder and I focused on the rips, connecting to it and willing them to mend. This time the fear was present, but I sensed it was directed elsewhere.

When I finished, I disconnected quickly. It made me feel like a telephone; _Hello, operator? We have a breach in the shoulder aisle; could you send someone in to fix it?_

"I wonder what would happen if you tried to do that to a god," Nico said softly, cutting into my rabbit-trail thoughts. I leaned over him, placing one hand on the railing for balance. He looked at me thoughtfully, pain absent from his gaze. I smiled ruefully.

"He or she would likely overpower me and use the link in reverse," I answered grimly.

"Yeah, probably," he admitted. He reached up with his once injured hand and tugged at a strand of my hair. "You know, the more I look at you, the more I wonder how I ever thought you looked like Percy."

"I don't?" I asked, blinking.

"Well, you resemble him, vaguely," he allowed, "but... at the same time... you're different. You're much calmer and quieter than he is, and you're more intimidating. Especially when you're angry. And you're stronger, but gentler." My face heated at the compliments and my gaze shunted to the left, away from his hand. But now I saw that his other hand still gripped mine. I started to pull it away, blushing, but he tightened his hold, bringing it up and lightly brushing his lips across my knuckles. My face burned, and I tugged gently.

He let go.

The fingers of his left hand played along my collarbone, which was left uncovered by the low-cut, long-sleeve gray shirt I'd donned that morning under the hoodie, which was now hanging on the back of the chair I'd been sitting in. Chills ran up my spine and the feel of his cool touch on my skin prompted a response from my body. I grabbed his hand before I could embarrass myself and stood, praying silently that God would give me self-control.

"We should go before they send someone after us," I said softly, keeping a hold on his hand to help him stand. He sighed and pulled himself up.

"Then let's not keep them waiting," he said, moving away and drawing into himself. I grabbed my hoodie and sword, and followed him up to the roof, where Sadie and Jaz were just hopping into the boat.

"Ah, perfect timing," Carter said as we climbed in. "I had to feed Freak, but..." He shrugged and took up the reins, looking at Nico. "Where to?"

"The same place you found us," the son of Hades replied. "That's the rendezvous point."

"Let's go," Sadie urged impatiently, glancing at her watch. "We only have... just over an hour."

"Should we take the Duat Express?" Carter asked.

"There are advantages and disadvantages to that," Walt answered. "We could get there faster, and possibly catch them unawares, but we'd have no time to plan. On the other hand, we would have plenty of time to come up with an adequate plan, but we would lose any element of surprise."

"No, we wouldn't," I said after a slight pause, and idea popping into my head. Everyone looked at me, confused. I took a deep breath and explained the idea to them.

"I like it," Jaz offered in the following silence. "It's dangerous, but I think it might work."

"Agreed," Sadie concurred. "And I'll feed you magic if you need it." I nodded my thanks as Carter grinned weakly.

"Well, we have a plan, now," he said. "I guess we're off."


	7. Chapter 7

Things could not get any worse. Or so I thought, until Gaea trapped me. And, as if to insult me, things started out fine.

We didn't take the Duat; Freak flew us over the river and Manhattan, soaring above the mortals as they continued on with their average lives, oblivious to the battle raging fiercely, just beyond the curtain of the Mist. I still didn't quite understand the Mist, but Nico explained it as we travelled.

"The Mist is kind of like a veil," he said. He sat on the floor of the boat, his back to the railing that I sat on. "It hides the truth from mortals."

"Why not let them see it?" I asked.

"Because some things, some monsters, are just too much for the mortal mind to completely comprehend," he answered, tilting his head back to look at me. "Imagine trying to see..."

"God?" I offered. He shrugged.

"Sure, imagine trying to see God. Can't do it, can you?" I shook my head, smiling. He nodded. "It's like that for mortals. If they saw the Minotaur, for example, their brains would short-circuit trying to understand what their eyes were seeing, so the Mist makes the Minotaur look like a cow, or a bull, or even a boulder."

"So a mortal sees something they can understand rather than what is real?"

"Or what they _want_ to see," he added. "Demigods can see through the Mist, but even some of us can get deceived by it."

"And gods?"

"...Gods are... a lot harder to fool," he said slowly, staring at the floorboards by his feet. "Which is why I'm a bit worried about this plan of yours; if Gaea is there, she'll see right through it." I thought about that for a bit.

"An illusion," I said after a while. He glanced up.

"What?"

"An illusion," I repeated. "Instead of just cloaking us, I mean. If we can make her think something other than the truth, we'll have the advantage."

"...What are you thinking?" he asked, intrigued. I hesitated and then dropped off the railing to sit next to him.

"If I could get it to work," I began, lowering my voice, "I could make it look like we're arriving from one direction, when we really come in from another direction, at a different time..."

"So she thinks we arrive later than we do, and we have a moment to assess the situation," he finished, seeing my point. I nodded.

"We'll be cutting it close, though," I said. "And she wants to see me there, so it'll be a lot harder to hide us." He frowned, rubbing his neck and glaring at the wood floor of the boat.

"...I doubt you'll like this idea, but..." he said slowly. When he paused, I twisted around to look at him.

"But what?" I prompted.

"What if we split our forces?" he asked. I frowned.

"Split how?"

"You and I go in first. Cover the others in the Mist, since she won't be expecting them." My frown deepened.

"Well, you're right about one thing; I don't like it," I muttered. His shoulders fell. "But it may be the best option. Certainly better than anything else we've come up with." He brightened slightly.

"Any plans for actually defeating Gaea?" he asked wryly.

"Does not dying count?" I asked. He chuckled.

"If you're talking about surviving Gaea," Sadie grunted, dropping down opposite us, "you can forget it." Nico and I exchanged glances.

"Well you're a ray of sunshine, aren't you?" he snorted. She shrugged.

"Just looking at it realistically," she said. "And realistically, none of us are likely to survive this." I sighed.

"...You're probably right," I murmured. Then I lowered my voice far enough that even Nico couldn't hear. "I just hope I can buy all of you the time you need."

"What?" I looked up at first Nico, then Sadie. Both waited expectantly for me to repeat myself.

"Nothing," I said, shaking my head. "Just thinking aloud."

"Hm. Well," Sadie said, shrugging and standing, "if you have any updates, better go tell Carter and the others now; we're not far from where we picked you up." I glanced again at Nico and stood.

"Lead on," I bid.

After explaining my revised plan to Walt and Carter, the elder Kane reined Freak to circle around and come in from the south instead of the north, dropping Nico and I early on. I focused on making the gryphon-pulled boat invisible as it flew away. We walked unhurriedly; a full half-hour remained to take a ten-minute walk.

"Erasmus," Nico said softly when we were only a few minutes away.

"Hmm?" I was still focusing on keeping the Mist around the others.

"If we die, would you have any regrets?" he asked. I faltered and refocused before answering.

"...Likely not," I said slowly. "Why...?"

"We have a very small chance of surviving this," he replied. "Even smaller if Gaea is there. Would you do anything differently?" I frowned.

"Why so personal all of the sudden?" I asked. He shrugged, drawing my attention to the tears in his jacket and the skin showing beneath.

"Call it idle curiosity," he said, drawing into himself. I could tell he was bothered by something, but I couldn't figure out what.

"Is it last night? That dream?" I asked quietly. He glanced at me, his dark eyes meeting mine.

"Are you taking it all back?" he asked, challenging. I felt relief, for some reason.

"Never," I answered immediately. He visibly relaxed and I noticed a slight grin tugging at his lips. I paused and looked at him. He pulled up a few feet past me as he realized I'd stopped walking.

"Erasmus?"

"Would you?" I asked seriously. He cocked his head.

"Would I what?

"Would you do it differently, given the chance?" I waited, tensed, as he stared at me, taking his time to reply. I knew only minutes remained before Gaea had Coach Hedge and Reyna killed, but I needed to know.

_What will you do if he says yes?_ Heka asked, the first thing he'd said in a long time. I sighed inwardly.

_If he says yes, then I know the truth,_ I told him. He didn't ask what truth; if Nico could change what he'd done with me, even just in a dream, and he wanted to, I knew he didn't feel for me as I felt for him.

"If I had a chance to change everything I did," Nico said slowly, killing me, "then... I'd do everything I did, all over again." I breathed a sigh of relief and managed a wan smile.

Without a second thought, I took a step, and another, and threw my arms around him, pressing my lips to his. He accepted, and welcomed, my kiss, and returned it without hesitation. Despite being taller than him, I felt like I was melting into him; I burned from head to toe with joy. Even the immanent deaths approaching couldn't dull the flame roaring inside me. But they did remind me of the circumstances of my meeting with Nico today.

I pulled away, reluctantly, and touched my forehead to his. His hands slipped up from my waist, where I hadn't realized they were, and took my hands from his neck.

"They need us," he whispered, following the same train of thought. "When they're safe..." He didn't finish, and I knew he was thinking the same thing I was. _If we manage to survive..._

"A promise, then," I said. "We will continue. For real." He smirked, red tinting his pale cheeks.

"Do I need to swear on the Styx?" he murmured. I shook my head just before his lips met mine and lingered. When we pulled apart, I could still feel his lips, and wished desperately for two things: forgiveness for the sinful pleasure I felt, and victory to be able to continue.

He took my hand in his, twining his fingers through mine, and tugged me along.

"We still have a ways to go," he said sorrowfully, reminding me of our mission. I let him lead me on.

We hurried toward the tall, towering white and gold statue, still in the place she had been since I'd met her. What would happen if the statue never reached its destination? The end of the world? I had to get Coach and Reyna out of Gaea's hands and get them moving again.

We reached the base of the statue without incident, and waited edgily for something to happen.

"This isn't right," Nico muttered, voicing my thought. "Where are the guards? The monsters?"

"She's playing with us," I answered grimly. "Are you sure this is the spot?"

"Positive," he said. "Where else could she have meant?" He paced, running his hands through his hair in frustration and making a noise of anger. "She said, 'The place he left.'" I paled.

"Nico..."

"What?" He whirled, red-faced and anger in his eyes.

"...She meant my home," I whispered in horror. "The place I left; the orphanage... The town I've been living in for so much of my life; Nico, she tricked us. Coach and Reyna... We'll never get to them in time." He stumbled back in shock, hitting a tree trunk and sliding to the ground. I felt the rage he'd been in transferring to me.

"No..." he said softly. "I should have known... Hedge... Reyna..." Anger built up inside me, bubbling over all at once; I dropped and slammed my fists into the ground, pouring my fury into a single blow. The ground around me split and crumbled, trembling like an earthquake was passing though. Nico jumped as the ground beneath him quivered, and he grabbed the tree.

"GAEA!" I roared, raising my voice in anger for the first time in my life. "FACE ME! YOU WANTED ME, NOW COME AND GET ME!" I felt power streaming through my veins. My vision sharpened, and so did my hearing. The world around me transformed into a swirl of color. A vague, shadowy figure of white formed beside me and held out a sword and shield. Without question, I took them, and the figure vanished. The world returned to normal, though my vision and hearing remained sharp.

"Such power," a soft voice murmured behind me. I gripped the sword, not even looking to see what I held, and turned slowly to face a woman garbed in dirt and grass. Her dark chestnut hair curled over one shoulder, and her pale cheeks glowed healthy. Her eyes were closed, but she smiled gently, coldly. Something about her was eerie, terror-inducing. Or would have been, if I wasn't infuriated.

"Gaea," I growled. The smile grew, barely.

"Hello, Erasmus," she greeted, her voice slurred just slightly, like she was sleep-talking.

"Liar," I snapped. "Trickster; you gave him faulty directions, and manipulated him to think other than the truth."

"Don't you do the same?" she returned. "You pretend you don't, but you do. You're like me, Porter, so why not join me?" Her smile faded momentarily, but returned, colder than before. "We could rule the world, Erasmus. You don't need him; kill him, and join me." My fury increased.

"You said the wrong thing, Gaea," I said, my voice dangerously low. "As long as I draw breath, I will not allow anyone to harm him." Summoning power from Hecate, Heka, and my faith, I closed my eyes and took a deeper breath than I thought possible. I called on the Mist, asking it to make Gaea think what she wanted to, not what was true. Then I poured magic into the area where Gaea stood, hoping to stall her. Opening my eyes, I charged, silently, for the woman in brown. She faded into the ground, but I swung anyway.

My sword bit deep, cutting into something with a sound like an axe into a tree trunk. An ear-piercing scream resonated through the earth, shaking me to the bones and making me topple.

"Erasmus!" Nico's cry yanked my attention to him. He stared at me; no, past me.

_Incoming,_ Heka said grimly. My internal monster compass pinged again and again behind me. I stood and turned to face a horde of monsters; telkhines, empousai, Cyclopes, harpies, and many more that I didn't recognize.

"Bring it on," I spat. Lunging forward, I threw myself into the midst of the monsters, calling spells and putting power into my every swing. Monster after monster fell under my blade, only a few lucky enough to land a blow on me before exploding into gold dust.

I suddenly noticed another sword, flashing alongside mine, guarding my undefended sides. Nico grinned when I glanced at him.

"You didn't think I'd let you have all the fun, did you?" he asked, cutting down a howling telkhine. I started to reply, but an empousa slashed my shoulder. I bit back a cry of pain and gave her a return slash. A coincident saved her; one of the harpies swooped at that moment and took the hit meant for the empousa. She grinned and lifted her metal leg to kick me. Nico's blade met it with a clang.

"No!" she cried. "Move, foolish son of Hades!"

"What do _you_ have against him?" he demanded, pushing her back. "You're a servant of Hecate, aren't you? Shouldn't you be serving him instead of trying to kill him?" She snarled and spat at him, but I felt like a light bulb had gone on over my head. I wouldn't have time to test it, I knew; as if to prove it, she leapt toward us. Nico raised his sword, ready to meet her, but I stepped in front of him.

"Stop!" I commanded. "By the authority of my mother." The empousa pulled up short, her clawed fingers inches from my face. Hatred gleamed in her eyes, but underneath it, I saw admiration, fear, even appreciation. I reached out, slowly, and gently touched her cheek. The flames of her hair licked at my hand, but didn't burn. She opened her mouth, but nothing would come out, so I said something for her: "You're free." She dropped her hand, gasping, and clenched her eyes tight, baring her fangs for a moment. And then she looked up, all traces of her earlier hate gone.

"...I am," she whispered. "You freed me... Mother Earth tempted me and trapped me, but you freed me! Oh, son of my mistress, thank you!" She took my hand in hers and held it tightly, saying over and over: "Thank you, thank you..."

"That was amazing!" Nico said, looking between me and the empousa with awe. I flushed.

"I... You gave me the idea," I said.

_Ahem,_ Heka interrupted. _As much as this entertains me, we have monsters to defeat, remember?_

Only when he called my attention to it did I realize the other monsters hadn't been attacking us. I glanced around, and my jaw dropped. A six- or seven-foot circle of glowing blue light shone around us, and Sadie stood on the edge to one side, a tiger next to her, both of them guarding our left flank. Behind me, Carter stood encased in a giant, glowing, falcon-headed avatar, swinging his scimitar at a group of Cyclopes. In front of me, and slightly to the right, Jaz stood next to Walt—or Anubis, since he was in full battle gear, including jackal head—and they shouted warnings and threats to several telkhines pacing beside other strange monsters.

_What is this?_ I asked Heka, amazed. _I thought they were going to wait for my signal!_

_I explained to Anubis what happened and they came rushing in to help,_ he explained. If he had been standing next to me, I would have strangled him and hugged him at the same time.

_...I can't believe you..._ I muttered instead. He chuckled.

_Well, don't just stand there; help them help you!_ he said. I hurried toward a large clustered group of empousai, Nico and the other empousa following. They saw me coming and charged, but they rebounded off the protective circle with pained hisses and insults.

"Listen to me, empousai!" I said, loud enough for them to hear. "I can free you!"

"He can!" the empousa behind me called out as they snickered and jeered at me. "He freed me; he can free you!"

"You're just a traitor, Clarina!" one shouted. I saw the look of pain in Clarina's eyes and set my jaw. Turning to the empousai outside the circle, I took a breath and stepped out. They bounded forward gleefully, but I held up one hand and called of the power of Hecate, praying to God this would work.

"By Hecate, stop!" I ordered. All six of them froze. "By her power, I free you." They collapsed into each other with gasps, all except two. Those two screamed in outrage and lunged at me. Clarina met them halfway, vaporizing one instantly. She and the other grappled until I gathered my wits enough to lift my sword.

"Why, Elaine?" Clarina grunted. I paused. "Why do you follow the Earth Mother so blindly? You could be free of her; free to serve your old mistress again."

"Ha! That old witch is nothing compared to Gaea!" Elaine scorned. "You say I could be free, but you're wrong; I AM free!" I raised my sword again, but this time, Nico put his hand on mine.

"No," he said, keeping an eye on the fight and another on the other monsters, who watched us warily. "This is her fight." I nodded and lowered the sword, though I kept a tight hold on it. Clarina shoved Elaine back, and the latter tripped, falling down hard. Before she had a chance to move, Clarina was on her, a clawed hand at her throat.

"This is it, Elaine," she whispered. "I'm giving you one last chance to return, or I'll send you back to Tartarus for a few years." Elaine spat, landing it in Clarina's hair with a sizzle. "...I'm sorry, Elaine." She slashed, and Elaine disappeared in a cloud of gold dust. Clarina stood and helped her companions up. Then she turned to me and stood at attention. The others followed her example.

"We want to pledge ourselves to you, son of our mistress," one of them said. I stared. This was a bit more than I'd expected.

"What are your names?" Nico asked, saving me from making a fool of myself.

"I am Clarina," she said. "And these are Arsine, Lilianna, Enova, and Doris."

"If you truly want to pledge yourselves to me," I said slowly, "I won't stop you. But, is it really necessary?" One of them, Enova, opened her mouth to speak, but she never got the chance to.

"Yes indeed," a familiar voice asked, "is it really necessary?" The ground trembled, and I felt enormous anger and hatred welling up from the deep. A cry from behind me made us turn, and I saw Sadie's tiger fall over, shattering into broken pieces of a staff as Sadie herself dropped to her knees and the protective circle vanished. Anubis flattened his ears and growled, and Jaz drew closer to him. If she was going closer to someone as deadly as that, I didn't want to know what she was sensing. Carter's avatar extinguished so quickly, he began tumbling through the air. A Cyclops took a swipe with his club and bashed Carter into the ground. Jaz cried out and covered her mouth, grabbing Anubis' arm in terror.

"No..." I whispered in fear. The ground shook, rumbled, and buckled beneath us, and Nico fell into me. The empousai behind me cried out as they toppled like bowling pins.

"I should have told you!" Clarina said to me, her voice cracking. "The whole thing was a trap; Gaea will swallow your friends!" I sat up, supporting myself against the trembling earth, and watched helplessly as the ground split open under Anubis and Jaz. He grabbed her as they toppled in. Sadie screamed and dashed over, Carter calling after her to stop. The ground shook violently, and Sadie dropped in with another scream.

"Sadie!" Carter yelled. He tried to stand, but the Cyclops bashed him again, and, as he lay senseless, the ground opened up and swallowed him. I stared.

_...my fault..._ I thought. _All my fault..._ The ground trembled again, and I felt a hand grip my arm. I glanced at Nico as the ground behind him buckled. He met my gaze serenely.

"Goodbye, Erasmus," he said. I never had a chance to move; he fell back, into the crack.

"Nico!" My hand shot out to catch him, snagging his wrist for a moment. He looked up at me, a sad smile on his lips, and then he slipped. "NO!" Someone grabbed my shoulder and dragged me away from the edge of the crevice as it closed.

"Stop it, young master!" Clarina shouted in my ear as I struggled. "You can't do anything for him now; not unless you know how to defeat Gaea." I slumped back into her, tears streaming down my face.

"How pitiful," a silky voice said sarcastically. My eyes snapped open and I jumped up, looking around for the speaker as the empousai formed a ring around me, baring claws and fangs uselessly. I spotted the dress made of dust and stepped between Arsine and Enova to face her.

"Give them back, Gaea," I demanded. "Sadie, Carter, Jaz, Walt, Nico; I want them all back, good as new. NOW." She smiled icily, her eyes still closed. I had a feeling I didn't want to see them open.

"Oh, Erasmus," she said, gliding smoothly across the ground like she wasn't touching it. "You just don't get it, do you?" She reached out and lightly brushed her hand across my chest and shoulders. "I will win. It is inevitable. Your friends were going to die anyway; think of this as... a way to soften the blow."

"You're wrong," I said tightly. "You won't win."

"Oh, but I will!" she laughed softly. "And when I do..." She shrugged. "Should I kill you now, or let you live to see the end? Toy with you a bit before ending your already short life?" The rage I felt at her screamed for me to attack, sink my sword into her. I closed my eyes and tilted my head back.

_Lord God of my ancestors,_ I prayed silently. _God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. God of the universe, of the world, of my life; give me strength, and guide me._ As I opened my eyes, I knew what I would have to do. I turned my back to Gaea and addressed the empousai, calling on the Mist to allow them to understand what I was really saying, while Gaea heard something else.

"If you really want to help me," I said, "go away, but help me cast a spell. I'll need every ounce of power and control you can give me." They exchanged glances, and then nodded. They faded away, dissolving into smoke, and vanished. I faced Gaea again and saw a hint of skepticism on her face.

"You sent them away to tell your mother goodbye?" she snorted. "That's one I've never seen." As she spoke, I could feel power suddenly flooding in from five new sources. A thought reached my mind from Clarina's.

_Whatever you need, young master, we'll help._ I glanced around at the monsters circling us, waiting impatiently for orders from Gaea. She stood, like a sleepwalker, in front of me, waiting patiently for my move. I was tempted to connect to a Cyclops' _ka_ and use it against her, but then she'd be more likely to guess my plan.

_Thank you, Clarina,_ I told her, hoping she could hear, _but this will do. I have one more request, though... If I fail, tell my mother... Tell her I tried._ I could feel Clarina's vague disapproval, but she responded affirmatively.

_I do hope you don't fail, Erasmus,_ Heka said seriously. _You're the first host I've had in almost a millennia, and I've enjoyed getting to know you._

_Huh. And here I thought you didn't care if I lived or died,_ I returned teasingly. He chuckled.

_That was never true,_ he said. _And if you need me to prove it, here._ I felt further power pouring into me, making me feel like a god myself. I took a deep breath and prayed again for protection. Then I looked at Gaea and tilted my head to the left.

Blinding brown and green lines flowed through her, larger and swifter than any I'd seen yet. Hundreds of thousands of years of experience and power radiated from her, and I almost gave up. I felt weak, and powerless. How could I fight someone like her, with less than a month of fighting monsters and no formal training whatsoever? What made me think I could win? I was useless, a freak who had no reason for living.

_...You're not a freak, Erasmus..._ Nico's words returned to me. _...If anyone's a freak, it's me; I control the dead!_ He was never a freak. He was powerful, and he was kind and gentle beneath the shell of introversion. _...I don't know how I ever thought you were Percy... You're stronger, but gentler... and more intimidating... Especially when you're angry..._

Percy Jackson. The apparent hero of the demigod world. How could I be more intimidating than that? For that matter, how could I be stronger?

_...Different gods, different worlds..._ The demon's words came back as well. _You are different... abnormal... You should not exist!_ He was right. I may not be a freak, but I still didn't belong.

_...You are a bridge..._ A bridge. A bridge between worlds. A Christian bridge connecting the world of Ancient Greece to the even older world of Ancient Egypt. A bridge allowing fire and water to merge... I should not exist.

"That's right," Gaea whispered softly in my ear. I must have said it aloud. "You don't belong. If you tried to be Greek, your hosted Egyptian god would suffer. If you tried to be Egyptian, your mother would be so disappointed." My mother... _I'm proud of you... no matter what..._ _My only son..._

Only son... Someone else had an only son, and He gave that Son to save earth. I looked to the sky, new strength filling me. If the Messiah could do it to save all people, even those to come, I could do it to save my friends and give them a chance to overcome Gaea.

"...You're wrong, Gaea," I said, turning my gaze back to her. "And this time, there is no debate; my mother loves me, and she will always be proud of me. So will my Father, the God of all gods, the Creator of Heaven and Earth." She paled as I spoke and her smile turned almost to a grimace. "The One whose Son died to make me a part of His family. It was by His Name that even you were created, Gaea, and it is by His Name that I will defeat you. Lord God Almighty, keep your promise; be my Shield!" I closed my eyes and connected to Gaea's life force with an almost audible _SNAP!_

We fought. Ferociously. I pushed to gain total control, and she pressed me back like an infection. For an eternity, it seemed, we battled for control. My strength waned slowly, and perspiration beaded on my brow as I strained. The only thing that gave me any advantage, it seemed, was the element of surprise; she hadn't expected me to be so bold. Or so stupid.

Heka joined me, and together we tackled her defenses. Clarina and the other empousai fed me power, barely keeping up with me as I threw everything I had into every attack.

Whenever I felt Gaea winning, I remember the Kane siblings, Walt and Anubis, Jaz... Nico. I couldn't abandon them; if Coach and Reyna, by some miracle, had survive thus far, I couldn't let it be in vain. I roared aloud in anger and attacked again. For a moment, I had total control, and I gripped it tightly.

"Let them all go," I whispered hoarsely, opening my eyes. The world around me was hazy at the edges and sharp in the middle; a soft golden-white glow tinged in green and gray surrounded me. Gaea stood frozen in front of me. At my command, her hand slowly raised. The ground rumbled and cracked. A split formed between us and I watched it twist and shift. Moments later, seven bodies lay strewn about at my feet. As they stirred, I felt myself losing control of Gaea.

"You... foolish... boy," she gritted out. Her fury at me spilled over through our link and I felt terrified that she would push me back and use the link in reverse to control me. Using my final strands of control, I created an impression on her.

"Go away, Gaea," I said. "Leave us be." I compelled the impression to stay with her for a long time and immediately broke the connection.

"...You may have won the battle, Porter," she said, sounding slightly winded, "but you won't win the war." With that final threat, she melted into the landscape. Lifting my sword wearily, I turned, ready to face the monsters I knew were coming. But I received a very pleasant surprise; they were gone. In banishing their mistress, I must have banished them as well.

Dropping to my knees, I spread my hands, tilted my head back, and lifted my voice in a song of thanksgiving I'd learned as a child. I silently dedicated my victory and survival to the only One who gives life, and I praised His goodness for returning my friends.

In the silence that followed my outburst, I finally had a chance to inspect my sword and shield. The blade was almost three feet long, but perfectly balanced to fit my hand, like it had grown from my arm. It shone gold and silver except at the handle, which was painstakingly wrapped in smooth, worn leather. Leafy designs were carved into the blade just above the guard, and a short gold tassel hung from the end of the hilt. A single translucent white gem was set into the middle of the carved designs, and a tiny cross had been etched into it.

The same cross was mounted on the center of the shield, and the same leafy designs were emblazoned all around the edge, just inside a thin ring that looked to be solid gold. The grips were carefully attached to the shield back, and were also smooth, well-oiled leather. All of that and the second translucent white gem in the center of the cross marked the shield as a matching set to the sword. Since I'd never seen either before, I realized it was a gift. And as crazy as it seemed, I felt sure it was from an angel of God; the shadowy figure that had appeared before Gaea had.

"Thank you, Father," I whispered as I stood. The others were all awake now, so I moved toward them. Walt stood, cradling one arm, and stepped forward to meet me, a grim look on his dark face. "Is everyone alright?"

"...Sort of," he said hesitantly. "After Gaea spit us back up, the monsters moved in. When she disappeared, so did they, but the damage was done..."

Coach Hedge and Carter stood guard, watching the trees as they paced. Reyna and Jaz patched a wound on Sadie's leg, the former supporting her as the latter whispered in ancient Egyptian over the deep cut. They all seemed well. Walt put his good hand on my shoulder and shook his head sadly. "But it's worse than you think."

"What is it?" I asked, gripping my new sword anxiously. Sadie and Jaz exchanged glances, and I caught a swap of pity.

"Erasmus," Jaz said gently. "We can't do anything for him." They moved apart, and I could have swallowed my heart; it was Nico, lying on the ground like a rag doll, tossed carelessly aside. Besides the hundreds of cuts and bruises on his arms and face, a huge hole in his stomach gaped, blood soaking his shirt in a circle that widened even as I watched.

"Nico!" I cried, dropping my sword and shield and falling to my knees next to him. His face was even paler than usual, and his eyes were dull. His breath came out in ragged gasps as he clutched at the wound in his stomach.

"...ras... mus..." he whispered, his voice feather-light.

"No... Nico, don't you dare die on me!" I ordered, feeling my tears break loose. "Don't you dare..." I grabbed his free hand in one of mine and tucked the other under his neck, lifting him slowly.

"...I... I'm sorry..." he murmured, his breath cool on my face as I touched my forehead to his. "...I couldn't... keep my promise..."

"NO!" I closed my eyes and clenched my jaw. "God, don't take him... If this is my punishment for the way I feel, then kill me instead; let me take his place!" I choked out a sob. "It's supposed to be me..."

"N-no... Eras... mus..."

"I won't let you go!" I shouted, my tears soaking both our faces, and pulled him closer. "Don't leave me, Nico..." Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Walt, the Kanes, Coach Hedge, and Reyna staring at us. Jaz was still busy binding up their wounds, but I knew she was keeping an eye on us as well. I didn't care. The only thing I cared about at that moment was Nico, and he was dying.

"Come visit..." he said softly. "I'll be waiting... in the Fields... of Asphodel..." My breath hitched and a sob escaped.

"No... You'll be in Elysium," I countered, trying to calm down. "But not yet; not now." I slowly lowered him to the ground and tilted my head to the left, blinking to get rid of the tears so I could see. I was weak from all the magic I'd used, but I wasn't going to let that stop me. If I died, so be it; I should have died battling Gaea anyway, maybe this was a chance to do one last thing right before I did.

Nico's body flickered and when I could see his _ka_, I nearly began crying again; it sputtered faintly, dimly, like a light bulb at the end of its fuse. The wound in his stomach glowed red and the color was slowly spreading through him, devouring his _ka_ like red dye in water. Focusing, I connected to his life force and encouraged it to get rid of the damage. I fed my own _ka_ into it and pushed back against the wound. I felt like I was fighting Gaea all over again. My energy dwindled rapidly as I struggled to mend the rips and holes.

An eternity later, I slumped, exhausted, over Nico's still form. Sweat soaked my shirt and dripped from my nose and chin. I stared at his eyelids, willing them to open. His _ka_ was whole now, but it wasn't moving, flowing, like it should have been. Though my energy was sapped, I managed to lift a hand and press my fingers to his neck. No pulse.

Fury returned my strength and I slammed my fist into the ground, shouting in outrage. The others stepped back, but I noted this only in passing as I picked him up again, cradling him while crying out silently to God.

_How could you let this happen? Why, God? It should have been me!_

_Erasmus,_ Heka said softly. _Some gods do things for reasons no one else understands, not even other gods... Maybe... Maybe your God is the same way._ I considered it, but it only made me angrier at Him. He'd let Nico die. Nico, the one I loved.

I buried my face in his shoulder and wept. He was dead, and I hadn't told him my true feelings. Now, I would never get that chance.

Still crying, I tilted his head slightly, leaned down, and kissed him, not caring what the others thought. I kissed him for the last time, feeling his cool lips pressed against mine, and holding tight to each moment.

His hand brushed my cheek and his tongue slid across mine. I jerked back, startled. His dark eyes opened and stared, disappointed.

"That's it?" he whispered hoarsely. "I come back from the banks of the Styx and that's all I get in welcome?"

I dropped him.

"Y-you... B-b-but you were..." I stuttered. "You were dead!"

"Ouch..." he muttered, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head. "And your point is?"

"You were dead!" I repeated. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Walt herding everyone away. I glanced over and he winked. I started to call them back, but they were gone, so I ended up sitting there, looking like an idiot with my hand out, my mouth opening and closing like a fish's.

"...Are you ever going to say anything?" Nico asked, drawing my attention back. "Or should I put you in water?" Such a casual comment from the one I thought was dead broke me out of the confusion and I jumped on him, taking us both to the ground. He let out an _oomph_ sound as I squeezed him tightly.

"...Nico..."

"Could I breathe?" he wheezed out. I let go and pushed myself up a bit so that he wasn't bearing my full weight. He sighed in relief and a tiny smile tugged at his lips. "You always land on me..."

"It's not always my fault," I replied, grinning wider than a Cheshire cat. "But in this case, it is." I leaned down and molded my lips to his. He responded in kind, slipping his tongue between my teeth and nibbling on my lip, ignoring the sweat clinging to my skin. I broke it after a moment and tucked my hands under him, hugging him tightly and whispering, "Nico, I love you."


	8. Chapter 8 - FINALE

I had never been happier. So, of course, Mother had to throw a monkey wrench my way.

After the joyful reunion, we all sat at the base of the Athena Parthenos and talked while we gathered strength. As the conversation turned to the recent victory, Nico slipped his hand into mine and squeezed. I looked at him and a tiny, sly smile touched his lips. I couldn't help but grin. With a glance at the others, to make sure no one was paying much attention, I used to Mist to hide us as we snuck away.

The moment the others were out of sight, I had Nico against a tree. I pressed my body flush against his and kissed him with a fiery passion. He responded warmly, his tongue on mine while his hands slipped up the back of my shirt. I gasped, breaking the kiss, as his cool fingers explored my skin. He kissed my neck and ran his tongue up to the space just behind my ear. Heat exploded through my body and I bit my lip to keep from groaning.

"A promise is a promise," he whispered huskily. "For real this time." He tugged at my hoodie. I still wore it, and by some miracle, it hadn't been destroyed. There were tears, sure, but they were easily patched or mended. I stepped back and doffed it, and noticed, as I dropped it, a small piece of paper flutter to the ground. Nico bent down and picked it up.

"...Your note," I said, remembering it as I stared at it. He held it up, one eyebrow rising.

"You didn't read it?" he asked. I flushed and rubbed my neck.

"I... I didn't want to," I said sheepishly. "After you left and I woke up, I... I was afraid of what it might say." He stared at me, his gaze searching my face as though he was looking for something. Apparently he found it, because he smiled gently and stepped forward, reaching out to touch my shoulder.

"Sometimes I wonder about you, Ras," he chuckled. As much as I disliked the nickname, from him I didn't mind it.

_Oh, so, he can say it, but I can't?_ Heka complained. _That's not fair!_

_Since when do the gods care about equality?_ I retorted. _Last I checked, um, never._

_...Touché._ I rolled my eyes as Nico sat down. He patted the ground next to him, inviting me to sit with him, and I did. He shifted as I lowered myself, and I blinked in surprise as he sat on my lap, facing me.

"I'll read it to you," he said, leaning forward as he unfolded the note. He scanned it once and then began reading it aloud. "Erasmus, if you're reading this, then I am long gone. I'm sorry I didn't stay to talk with you in person, but after that dream, I didn't know how I'd be able to face you, and besides, I had to come back and make another jump with the statue." I had to resist snorting at that; it was obvious the jump never happened. "I'll be honest, you were my first as well, and it made me realize something; I may have started liking you because you looked like Percy, but everything we'd done together, including a dream I'll never forget, proved that..." Here, he looked up and met my gaze. He continued talking, and I knew he was finishing the note, but he didn't look down again. "I'd fallen for you, because you're you."

My breath hitched and I couldn't stop myself; I reached up and took his neck, pulling him down to a gentle, loving kiss. He set the note aside and pushed my shirt up. I shivered as he ran his fingers along the taut muscles of my stomach and chest, and felt myself harden when he tucked them under the lip of my jeans. He noticed and slid closer, grinning through the kiss. His response was obvious, his groin rubbing mine, and I lost it; pulling him to me, I twisted around and laid him on the ground beneath me. I tugged his still blood-soaked shirt up and he wiggled out of it. He helped me doff mine and I kissed him again, lustily.

"Young master?" At Clarina's soft voice, we both jumped and looked up. She and the other empousai stood waiting patiently a few yards away. Heat from embarrassment burned through me and I sat up. Nico and I were shirtless, making out on the ground, and out of nowhere, my mother's servants show up. What would she say if she knew?

"What is it, Clarina?" I asked, somehow managing to sound calm. She stepped forward and bowed her head.

"Hecate has need of you," she answered. "With the impending battle between Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter, no satyrs are available to protect the young demigods who need it."

"What does that have to do with me?" I pressed, frowning.

"You need to gather them, and protect them until the battle is decided," Clarina responded. Nico squirmed out from under me and sat up.

"What?" he demanded. "He just fought Gaea in a battle of wills, and barely survived, and you want to send him out to protect other kids?" She looked at him, either not noticing his bare, pale chest, or ignoring it.

"It is not my wish," she clarified, "but that of his mother." I stared. Hecate wanted _me_ to take a satyr's job? I couldn't do that! I had already almost failed to save a group of magicians and demigods that actually had experience; how could I be expected to protect a group of demigods who would have little, if any, experience?

"You won't be alone, young master," Doris said, as though reading my mind. I looked up at them.

"I won't?"

"You'll have us!" Lilianna said shyly. I smiled. She and Enova seemed young, eager to impress, and all five of them had already decided to pledge to me. Based on the battles I'd previously had with other empousai, they were a formidable force to reckon with, and with Hecate's power backing them...

"Where's the nearest demigod?" I asked.

"Miami, and the next nearest is in Washington, D.C.," Clarina answered.

"Clarina, take Lilianna and Enova to D.C.," I ordered. "Doris and Arsine, go to Miami. Don't let anyone see you, obviously, but watch over the kids; I'll be to Miami as soon as I can." Exchanging glances, they nodded and faded into mist, except Arsine.

"Don't take too long, young master," she said in a soft, throaty voice. "Cyclopes have been seen in the Miami area, and they'll have moved in by now." I nodded in acknowledgement and she faded out, leaving me alone with Nico.

"...I guess you'll be leaving then," he noted quietly. I turned to him. He leaned on one arm, one knee drawn up and the other arm draped over it. His hair hung in his face, but I could still see the disappointment in his gaze. Leaning over, I cupped his cheek and kissed him.

"If I could stay," I whispered, "nothing would stop me. And next time, nothing will." He blushed and pressed his lips to mine, touching my chest lightly with his cool fingers.

"I don't doubt it," he returned.

With another shared peck, I stood, gathering my shirt and hoodie, and snatching the note as well. I donned the first two, and stuck the third in my pocket.

"The others will want to say bye before you go," Nico said, tugging his shirt over his head. His hair clung to his forehead, veiling his eyes, and I reached over to swipe it away. As I pushed the dark locks aside, I realized he was crying. Immediately, I took his chin and tilted his face up.

"Are you alright?" I asked gently, brushing away a tear slipping from the corner of his eye.

"I'm fine," he whispered. He met my gaze easily, so I knew he wasn't lying, but he seemed upset.

"What's wrong?" I took his hand in one of mine, and cupped his cheek in the other.

"I just... I'm going to miss you," he replied softly. That made me smile. I pulled his hand up to my lips and kissed his knuckles, never looking away from him.

"I will come back," I promised. "I will always come back for you." The blush returned, slightly, his gaze shunting to the side.

"Hearing something like from perhaps the most powerful demigod alive," he murmured. "It's like being told a god actually cares what happens to us." I chuckled.

"News flash," I said. "He does."

"What...?" he began. Pausing, he shook his head. "Never mind; I'll ask later..." Twining his fingers in mine, he gave a slow, sad smile. Wordlessly, he led me back to the group.

"There you guys are!" Jaz greeted the moment they were in sight. She smiled brightly and took my free arm. "It's about time to go, Erasmus." I looked down at her beaming face and knew I'd miss her and her sweet loving nature. I'd miss them all; Coach Hedge and his subtle caring ways hidden beneath violence, Reyna and her quietly commanding presence, Walt and his generosity, as well as Anubis and his protectiveness, Sadie and her bossy desire to control which just hid gentle kindness, Carter and his humble leadership. But especially Nico; despite being a son of Hades, he was remarkably benevolent.

"...I'm not going," I said softly. The Egyptians stopped making preparations and turned to stare at me. Jaz let go of my arm, though she didn't move away.

"Then... You're coming with us?" Reyna asked, her brow furrowing. "I thought you needed training with your other... heritage."

"I do," I answered. "And I need training with this heritage. But I'm not going with you either."

"Then where are you going?" Carter asked calmly. I sighed, staring at the ground, already feeling nostalgic for the times I'd spent with these people.

"My mother has a mission for me," I explained slowly. "A mission only I can complete. Alone." I looked up, meeting each person's gaze in turn. "As much as I'd rather stay with all of you, there are demigods who need protecting. I will miss you. All of you." I ended my circuit with Nico, who smiled bravely.

"So... This is goodbye," Sadie half said, half asked. I glanced at her and nodded. She hesitated and then stepped forward. Surprising me, she threw her arms around my neck. After assuring myself that she wasn't attacking, I hugged her back.

"We'll miss you, too, Erasmus," Walt said, a smile tugging at his lips. Sadie stepped away from me, taking Walt's hand as he spoke. "You've added something to our lives, something that wasn't there before. Whatever it is, it's pretty amazing." I gave a snorted laugh in response, smiling gently.

"Before you go," Coach grunted, "wanna tell us about that weapon of yours?" I chuckled. The old goat was showing his affection the usual way. Letting go of Nico, I took up my sword and shield and dropped down at the base of the statue, grateful for a reason to linger.

The blade gleamed in the sunlight as I rested it across my knees. The shield shone like a miniature sun itself. The cross stood out, trying to proclaim the glory of the Almighty in a single image. The translucent white gems, I realized, were diamonds. Pure, uncut.

"A gift from God," I said quietly. "Straight from an angel."

"Does that mean... your God exists?" Jaz asked, interest piqued. I smiled and nodded.

"He has always existed," I said. "He was there before time, and He will continue beyond the end of time. He is the Creator of everything; you, me, the earth, the sea. He is Lord of all; above man, above kings, above even the Olympians and the gods of Egypt."

"Wait," Reyna said, holding up her hand. "If He's so big and powerful, why would He care about us?"

"He made us, and each of us is special," I answered. "He loves each and every one of us, though it may not seem like it at times. For those who follow Him wholeheartedly, He protects them, guides them, and blesses them. And for those who don't, He works at their hearts, in many different ways, to bring them back."

"Bring them back?"

"We're all His children, according to the Bible, and He wants all of us to be with Him again in perfection, in Heaven. He wants it so much, He even sent a part of Himself, His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for us." I paused, considering how often some of them had probably heard things like that. "I understand that it just sounds like a bunch of... religious dogma, but it's so true. Jesus came to earth, a perfect Lamb, and paid the ultimate price to buy us tickets to Heaven. And all we have to do it take it." Gripping its hilt, I lifted the sword. "It's so simple, but no one ever wants to. And it's not really surprising; following the Lord isn't exactly a walk in the park, like some preachers will try to tell you. Being a Christian means you're marked for attacks from the devil. I mean, just look at my life; I thought my mother had run off with another man while I was still young, and my father died not too long ago. Just a few weeks ago, after living in an orphanage for so long, I was suddenly attacked by creatures I knew nothing about, and I spent my sixteenth birthday on the run. And now, I'm losing perhaps the only people I could ever call friends."

Though many had been deep in thought, they all looked up at me now. Jaz, Sadie, and Carter gave me looks of joyful gratitude, tinged with embarrassment; Reyna and Walt exchanged glances and slight smiles that said they had been talking about just this earlier; Coach Hedge turned red with, I hoped, discomfiture. Only Nico took it in stride. I'm sure he knew if I could tell him privately, I'd say he was much more than a friend.

"My point is," I continued, laying my sword across my knees again, "just because miracles happen, like this sword and shield appearing when I needed it most—just because miracles happen on occasion doesn't mean that everything is going to be easy. I'm sure you've all had struggles, of some kind. In fact, I know you have; we wouldn't be here if you hadn't. But that's just it; without those struggles, we wouldn't be here. We wouldn't be backing each other, taking care of each other, calling each other friend.

"Honestly," I smiled, "I probably wouldn't be alive if I hadn't trusted the God had some plan in mind for me when this all began. This sword is proof of that plan; I have never handled anything as strong, as sharp, or as perfect as this. And that's saying something, because Nico's sword is pretty amazing." He chuckled, fingering the hilt of his blade.

"...Heavenly steel," Carter declared. I glanced at him, as did most of the others. Seeing our bafflement, he continued. "The material of the blade; I've never seen anything like it, even after seeing di Angelo's Stygian iron, Reyna's Imperial gold, and hearing about Celestial bronze. Considering it came from... God, and it looks like steel, or something similar... Heavenly steel." Nico and I exchanged glances.

_I like it._ I nearly jumped out of my skin hearing Heka again after what seemed like forever.

_Really, Heka?_ I gasped. _You just had to, didn't you?_

_Yep._ Well, points for honesty.

_Glad you like it, but if you do that again..._ I left the threat unfinished, not knowing what I COULD do. Heka understood that and laughed.

"Heavenly steel is it, then," I said aloud. "The first of its kind."

§§§

Many days later, I stood on the highest branch of a tall tree that would take my weight. I scanned the horizon for signs of civilization or monsters. My mind was divided; part of it focused on keeping us safe, and the other wandered to thoughts of my friends. I wondered if they were all safe, at or going to their appropriate homes.

A few days ago, the earth had trembled, and I heard Gaea whispering to me, telling me she was awake, and that as soon as she finished destroying Camp Half-Blood she was coming for me. The trembling had lessened shortly after, and stopped completely after a couple of hours. I felt no anger or threats from the earth, and I couldn't help but wonder what had happened. With each passing day, I grew more and more hopeful that Nico and the others had made it and united the camps to defeat Gaea. And with each passing day, I felt more and more depressed that Nico hadn't come to find me.

I'd heard no word yet from Hecate, and by the time I'd reached a tiny town in the north-western part of Pennsylvania to pick up a third demigod, a week had passed. I and the empousai found another demigod at the border between Pennsylvania and New Jersey only yesterday.

The first demigod we picked up, in Miami, was Gina Winter, a thirteen-year-old daughter of Iris. Her birthday was actually the day after we picked her up from her little home in the suburbs of the city. Arsine had helped me disguise myself with the Mist so that I looked older, and somewhat official, and I told Gina's foster father that she was being recalled by the foster system because someone wanted to adopt her. I don't know how it worked—it had seemed so weak and flimsy—but Gina left Miami with Arsine, Doris and me, and we hitchhiked non-stop up to Washington, D.C., reaching it in four days. We crashed in an alley behind a cozy little motel, not daring to even try to get a room.

Penelope Jadestone was next. The ten-year-old daughter of Aphrodite had lost her father about the same time I'd lost mine; he had been popular, well-known, and well-loved, not to mention handsome, and a politician. He was assassinated during some big, important meeting that no one really understood except the attendees, most of whom died alongside him. Penelope had been placed in the care of her father's assistant, but the poor man was so busy dealing with Mr. Jadestone's death that she was practically ignored by everyone except her bodyguard, whom she managed to escape from by charm-speaking him into believing she would be right back. She was more than happy to join me and Gina, though the empousai frightened her.

In Pennsylvania, at the end of the week, we added the oldest demigod of our group, myself excluded. Teri-Lynn Henderson, fourteen-year-old daughter of Hypnos, had been on her own since she was twelve, and had survived by either putting the attacking monster to sleep, or putting herself into such a deep sleep that monsters couldn't smell her. I spent a long time talking with her about dreams, trying to understand whether anything that happened in a dream could be considered 'real' or not. We actually debated that quite a bit. She had an incredible mind, and extremely imaginative, as I discovered when she accidently invaded my dreams with a ton of baby pandas.

And yesterday, on his way across the border into New Jersey, we met Lore Pinter, a son of Ares who was thirteen, going on fourteen in a couple more weeks. It was nice to have another guy around after spending a week surrounded by eight females. He was surprisingly gentle for a son of Ares, and I'd wondered how he survived so long. Then we fought together. Despite his kind, almost shy demeanor, he had skills in battle like I'd never imagined; he did ten times more damage with a casual swipe of a dagger than I could do with a purposeful thrust of my sword.

Clarina—who had become my unofficial second—and the rest of the empousai had been helping defend and train the demigods as we wandered, which was a welcome relief—after the demigods got over the fact that they were _empousai_, anyway—but that's all we really did: wandered.

We did find another powerful young demigod just this morning, though. His name was Heron Stein, and he was a fifteen-year-old son of Demeter. He was just older than Teri, and told us his satyr protector had been killed by a pack of telkhines not long ago while they were en route to Camp Half-Blood. He also said he'd been surviving by hiding in sewers, which his aroma concurred with, so we tossed him in a river before leaving the area.

With so many powerful demigods all together, monster attacks were growing more and more frequent, so I was moving the group to the southern coast of New Jersey, where we had an entire wildlife refuge to hide in, and where we could use the sea to guard our backs, since less attacks came by sea than did by land or air.

We didn't have any ambrosia, which upset me, but my healing abilities from Heka took care of the worst issues, and as it turned out, Heron knew how to find herbs and such that had healing qualities; together I was sure we could manage to keep everyone alive and relatively healthy.

Our biggest hitch was when a Cyclops killed Doris just before we found Heron, but Clarina promised that she, and the others, had sworn to come back as soon as they could possibly make it, even if it meant fighting half of the underworld to do so. I still mourned Doris' return to the underworld, but I knew she'd be back, possibly even with reinforcements.

The empousai had each sworn to me at some point during the trip, Arsine first, then Clarina, then Doris, and Enova and Lilianna had done theirs together, shortly after we picked up Penelope. At least one of them was always by my side, usually Clarina, and the others would roam a fair distance from the demigods, keeping an eye out for hostile monsters while at the same time giving the kids space so they didn't have to be so close to monsters—even friendly ones—all the time.

And of course, not a day has passed that I don't wish I was with Nico and the others. I often wondered if they had finally defeated Gaea or if she was simply biding her time. I recalled how powerful she'd been in our battle of wills, and I cringed. She hadn't even been fully awake, and I'd had the power of Hecate, Heka, and five empousai, plus whatever extra God had given me, to add to my own apparently enormous power, and I'd still only JUST managed to defeat her. And that only by sending her away. Temporarily. What would happen if Gaea was able to wake completely? I shuddered even to think about it; world-wide chaos. And then the end.

I sincerely hoped Percy and his group had succeeded in their mission, and Nico and his group had survived. And my Egyptian friends? Well, if Gaea really had risen, then like Walt and Hecate said, she'd have overthrown Geb, the Egyptian earth god, and Ma'at would be unbalanced. If Ma'at was unbalanced, then Apophis would rise; I didn't need to know Ancient Egyptian history to know that would be the heralding of the end of the world.

Since the world hadn't ended yet, I held out hope that the demigods had won. Thankfully, my own part was small—I just had to take care of these kids until something happened. But I would often catch myself gripping the hilt of my sword, itching to pull it out and use it on something. I recalled the simple short sword I'd had before. I still had the club; I wasn't letting that go too easily. But I'd lost the sword somewhere in the woods just before Gaea appeared. I knew that because I had it when we debarked the gryphon-towed boat, but I didn't have it when I received the sword/shield set. Whatever had happened to it, I found myself missing its familiarity. Since I had no doubt I would never see it again, I pictured burying it, alongside a human representation of the time I spent with my friends. I promised myself I would only unbury the latter after I saw them all again.

Imagine my surprise when the sword turned up the day we first made camp in the Glades Wildlife Refuge. It showed up in the middle of the New Jersey coast, and Heron, who'd decided to become my disciple, found it first.

I was just about to go hunting for our supper with Arsine, when he came running up, out of breath, and trying to say something about a sword. When I finally got him to take a breath, he said that he'd found a sword standing upright in the sand, like someone had stabbed it into the ground. I had him lead me to it, and couldn't stop staring when I saw it. It really was the same blade I'd used for almost two weeks, and still in the same condition.

I grabbed the hilt to pull it out of the ground and felt something off about the handle, at the same time hearing a crinkle of paper. There was a note attached to it. I carefully pulled it off as the others crowded around me, eager to find out what it was—the endless curiosity of these kids caused them to follow me just about anywhere, and they always stuck close. Sometimes a little too close.

The instant I saw the handwriting, I knew who the note was from, and I smiled. Scanning the short message, I closed my eyes, holding the note tight to my chest. My group clamored for answers, but I just told them all to get back to the campsite, tugging the sword out of the ground and giving it to Heron. He accepted it with gracious excitement and led the others back to camp, the empousai trailing like an honor guard.

Only Clarina stayed by me, glancing at the note, and she asked knowingly if it was from _him_. My smile broadened and I nodded. Nothing, not even the appearance of Gaea herself could dull my mood right now. Life was indeed good, and I tilted my face to the sky, saying a quick prayer of thanksgiving for the blessings God had given me.

_Erasmus,_

_Everything has gone well: Camp Jupiter listened, and together, we defeated Gaea with minimal casualties, the worst of which was Leo. He made most of the quest possible, and he gave his life to end Gaea's. She won't be bothering anyone for a long, long time. Eternity, hopefully. From what I hear, Percy and the others succeeded on their end and are headed back to the States, and I just heard from the Kanes, as well; they've started having problems, but so far it's nothing they can't handle._

_I hope you're doing alright as well. I wanted to give this to you myself, but Will refuses to let me leave until he's sure I won't vanish forever the next time I try to shadow-travel. I'm definitely going to be training to avoid it, that's for sure._

_We all miss you, Ras. Felix has been asking about you, and Coach hasn't stopped regaling his son with stories about you. I talked with Walt today, and he told me Jaz and the Kanes miss you, even though they won't say it. And I... I miss you more than I can say._

_One last thing: I never got to say this, and next time we meet, I'll say it in person..._

_I love you._

_Nico _


End file.
